Printing using color changeable material

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for printing data on a substrate including a color-changeable material are provided. One system includes a processing circuit and a device including an energy source. At least a portion of a printed publication is printed on the substrate using a commercial printing press based on fixed data. The device including the energy source is configured to add variable data to the substrate. The processing circuit is configured to receive the variable data and to control the energy source to change a color of the color-changeable material based on the variable data to provide at least a portion of the printed publication. The processing circuit is configured to control the energy source to change the color of the color-changeable material in-line with a flow of the substrate through one of a printing line, a finishing line, or a packaging line of the commercial printing press.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/724,587, filed May 28, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/098,356, filed Dec. 5, 2013, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/864,490, filed Jul.23, 2010, which is a national stage entry of PCT Application No.PCT/US08/84133, filed Nov. 20, 2008, which in turn claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/062,213, filed Jan. 24, 2008, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of printing, suchas commercial printing. The disclosure more specifically relates toprinting fixed and/or variable data by changing the color of at least aportion of a material.

Current commercial printing technology generally employs planographic(e.g., offset, lithography, collatype, screenless), relief (e.g.,letterpress and flexography), intaglio (e.g., gravure and steel dieengraving), porous (e.g., screen printing and stencil), reprography(e.g., copying and duplicity) and digital (e.g., ink jets and toner)methods of print.

Commercial printing can include fixed data printing followed by variabledata printing (VDP) employing an ink jet system. The fixed data printingcan be performed using current commercial printing technology, such ashigh quality high speed four color printing press-based processes likeweb-offset. Today, variable data printing is often performed in thepost-press process (e.g., after the fixed data is applied to asubstrate) or as part of tasks related to personalization, mailing ordelivery. The variable data printing can be used to print codes,messages, images, and other data unique to an item or group of itemsprinted. For example, the variable data may comprise codes that caninclude batch or serial numbers, addresses for recipients of the items,names, personalized messages, advertising, consumer specific coupons,etc. Traditionally, ink jet systems are most commonly used to print thevariable data. The ink jet systems used for variable data printing areoften slower than the higher-speeds of the fixed data printing systems,which thus requires the printed materials to be transferred “off-line”to a different variable printing line or the use of high cost equipmentsuch as accumulators or buffers to process the materials “in-line.”Further, the manufacturer must continue to buy the ink long afterpurchasing the ink jet, resulting in an ongoing manufacturing expense.Yet further, the ink jet heads often become clogged and damaged,requiring labor and replacement costs. Additionally, the toxicity ofsome ink adds additional manufacturing complexity. Additionally, the inkjet systems have other drawbacks that may hinder performance of theoverall printing process, as discussed above.

Alternatively, a printing line can utilize an entirely platelessprinting process and perform fixed and variable data printing in asingle line. Such systems rely on ink jets, electrophotography, ion orelectron charge deposition, etc. As discussed above, such systems havedrawbacks.

SUMMARY

According to one exemplary embodiment, a system for printing data on asubstrate including a color-changeable material includes a processingcircuit and a device including an energy source. At least a portion ofeach of a plurality of printed publications is printed on the substrateusing a commercial printing press based on fixed data. The fixed datacomprises data common to the plurality of printed publications. Thedevice including the energy source is configured to add variable data tothe substrate. The processing circuit is configured to receive thevariable data and to control the energy source to change a color of thecolor-changeable material based on the variable data to provide at leasta portion of the plurality of printed publications. The variable datacomprises data changed between at least two of the plurality of printedpublications. The processing circuit is configured to control the energysource to change the color of the color-changeable material in-line witha flow of the substrate through one of a printing line, a finishingline, or a packaging line of the commercial printing press.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a system for printing data ona substrate including a color-changeable material includes a processingcircuit and a device including an energy source. At least a portion ofeach of a plurality of printed publications is printed on the substrateusing a commercial printing press based on fixed data. The fixed datacomprises data common to the plurality of printed publications. The thedevice comprising the energy source is configured to add variable datato the substrate for each of the plurality of printed publications afterat least a portion of the printed publication has been printed on thesubstrate using the commercial printing press based on the fixed data.The processing circuit is configured to receive the variable data and tocontrol the energy source to change a color of the color-changeablematerial based on the variable data to provide at least a portion of theplurality of printed publications. The variable data comprises datachanged between at least two of the plurality of printed publications.The processing circuit is configured to control the energy source tochange the color of the color-changeable material in-line with a flow ofthe substrate through one of a printing line, a finishing line, or apackaging line of the commercial printing press.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a method for printing data ona substrate including a color-changeable material includes printing atleast a portion of each of a plurality of printed publications based onfixed data using a commercial printing press. The fixed data includesdata common to the plurality of printed publications. The method furtherincludes controlling a device comprising an energy source to change acolor of the color-changeable material based on variable data to provideat least a portion of the plurality of printed publications. Thevariable data includes data changed between at least two of theplurality of printed publications. The device comprising the energysource is controlled to change the color of the color-changeablematerial in-line with a flow of the substrate through one of a printingline, a finishing line, or a packaging line of the commercial printingpress.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a printing line according to oneexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an overhead schematic view of a finishing line with a stitcheraccording to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an overhead schematic view of a finishing line with a binderaccording to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an overhead schematic view of a mailing line according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a printed material including variabledata applied according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a printed material that includesvariable data applied to the printed material spine according to oneexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a printed material that includesvariable data applied on the edges of the printed material pagesaccording to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective schematic view of an optical matrix laserprinting apparatus configuration according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side plane view of the optical matrix printing configurationof FIG. 8, according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic view of an optical matrix laserprinting apparatus configuration according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic view of an optical matrix laserprinting apparatus configuration according to another exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a variable data printing systemaccording to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data with thesystem of FIG. 10 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an overhead schematic view of a finishing line according toanother exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a process flow for laser printing,according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 16 is an overhead schematic view of a packaging line according toan exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of a variable data printing systemfor printing on packaging according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data onpackaging with the system of FIG. 17 according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 19 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data onpackaging with the system of FIG. 17 according to another exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 20 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data onpackaging with the system of FIG. 17 according to another exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 21 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data onpackaging with the system of FIG. 17 on the packaging line of FIG. 16according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data onpackaging with the system of FIG. 17 on the packaging line of FIG. 16according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a process flow diagram of a method for printing data onpackaging with the system of FIG. 17 on the packaging line of FIG. 16according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of a system for applying a color-changeablematerial to a substrate in-line with one or more printing units,according to exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments described herein can provide an improved printing processfor fixed and/or variable data printing. Various embodiments can replaceink jets with an improved technology capable of printing fixed and/orvariable data; provide high speed fixed and/or variable data printingthat is not prone to clogging; provide a combination of a higher speedfixed and/or variable data printing process with a high speed, highresolution, high quality fixed data printing process; provide anefficient, high quality, high speed fixed and/or variable printingapparatus and process; and provide a non-ink based fixed and/or variabledata printing process. Further, various embodiments can provide a fixedand/or variable data printing process that can be integrated into a highspeed, four color printing press operation.

Yet further, various embodiments can provide a printing process whichcan replace a conventional digital, web based or gravure based printingprocess with a laser printing process to reduce printing time, improveefficiency, reduce the costs associated with inks, and provide greaterflexibility. Various embodiments can provide a printing process whichprints from an energy source to a color-changeable material with a largeamount of data to provide for graphical images, pictures, photographs,and other images customarily found in a printed publication or onpackaging, for example product packaging. Various embodiments canprovide an energy source configured to print on a substrate at a highspeed with a high resolution.

Printing Overview

Data, both variable and fixed, may be printed on a substrate, printedmaterial, or packaging at any point during a commercial printingprocess, including on a printing and/or a finishing line, or a packagingprocess. The substrate may be a generally flexible substrate, agenerally stiff or rigid substrate, a semi-rigid substrate, etc. Thesubstrate may be made from a variety of materials including, withoutlimitation, paper, plastic, metal, laminate, or any combination thereof.The printed material may be a continuous web, sheets of paper, paperwhich may be coated or uncoated, a printed publication or other printedmaterial, etc. Printed publications may include any printed mediaintended for distribution, typically by mailing, to a wide audience,such as hundreds, thousands, or more. Examples of types of printedpublications may include catalogs, magazines, bound and unboundadvertisements, newspapers, direct marketing and mailing pieces,inserts, onserts, signatures or forms used to make any of the above,etc. “Variable data” may comprise elements such as text, graphics,images, data or information which may be changed from one printoperation to the next or from one series of print operations to thenext, or a combination thereof. Variable data may be received from adatabase, external file, memory, or other data source. In someembodiments, variable data may be changed without stopping or slowingdown the printing process. The term variable data may be used to referto data stored in a memory, to the indicia printed on the printedmaterial based on the data stored in the memory, or to data representedin any other form. Variable data may be used to determine which of othervariable data is to be printed on a substrate (e.g., demographic datamay be used to determine which of different variable data advertisementsto print) or variable data may represent the data that actually getsprinted (e.g., the advertisement). Information printed on a substratebased on variable data may be custom messaging, custom graphics, or acombination thereof. A graphic or graphics may be a representation ofdata in a way that includes an image or a pictorial representation inaddition to or instead of text.

In exemplary embodiments where the substrate is packaging, the packagingmay generally be any material used to pack or label something, forexample a box, carton, bag, tag, label, can, or bottle to package aproduct. A label may be part of a continuous strip, sheet or web of abacking material upon which are disposed labels having adhesive on oneside. A tag may be a portion of a continuous strip, sheet or web ofmaterial defined by a perforation or other area to be cut to create thetag. In some exemplary embodiments, the packaging may be substantiallynon-flat, such as bottles, cans, or other materials having substantialsizes in three dimensions. The packaging may enclose or substantiallyenclose a product and may have opaque, transparent, and/or translucentportions. The packaging may have dimensions greater than about 0.02inches in all three dimensions, greater than about 0.2 inches in allthree dimensions, greater than about 2 inches in all three dimensions,any combination thereof, or other thicknesses or dimension. According toother exemplary embodiments, the packaging may be substantially flat,such as paper, cardboard, or plastic cards. In some exemplaryembodiments, the packaging may be substantially flat at one step in aprocess and become substantially non-flat at a second step in a process(e.g., where cardboard is formed into a box), and printing may occur ateither step of the process. For example, a plastic packaging may beapplied to a package of meat, whereby the packaging becomessubstantially non-flat due to the non-flat surfaces of the meat, andprinting is applied to the plastic in its non-flat form. In variousexemplary embodiments including substantially flat or non-flatpackaging, the packaging may be composed of paper, cardboard, plastic,metal, wood, glass, fabric or fibrous material, foam, rubber, anothermaterial, or any combination thereof.

Packaging generally includes primary, secondary, and/or tertiarypackaging units, materials or substrates. For purposes of thisdisclosure, “primary packaging” may be a packaging unit that is incontact with the product to be sold, that first envelops and holds theproduct, or that is the smallest unit of distribution or use in thepackaging. For purposes of this disclosure, “secondary packaging” may bea packaging unit that is outside the primary packaging, that is incontact with the primary packaging, or that is used to group primarypackaging together. For purposes of this disclosure, “tertiarypackaging” may be a packaging unit that is used for bulk handling,warehouse storage, or transport shipping (e.g., a palletized unit loadthat packs into containers) or that is in contact with the secondarypackaging and/or the primary packaging. According to various exemplaryembodiments, the packaging may substantially or at least partially coveror enclose the product to be packaged, for example on at least two sidesof the product to be packaged. Any of the printing or other processingsteps or apparatus components described herein may be used to print onany of these types of packaging, or other types of packaging. Forexample, any of the printing or other processing steps or apparatuscomponents described herein may be use to print the primary, secondary,and/or tertiary packaging units, materials, or substrates, whichprinting apparatus components may for example comprise commercial-typepresses such as gravure and flexographic presses. Any of the printingsteps may occur as part of an in-line process, wherein printing occurson a same manufacturing line as a primary or other printing process(e.g., web offset printing, digital printing, etc.) or as part of anoff-line process, wherein printing occurs in a place or on an apparatusseparate and perhaps distant from the same manufacturing line as aprimary or other printing process.

Variable data may include geographic, demographic, postal, personal,and/or book data or any combination of these types of information andother types of information not specifically identified here. Geographicinformation may include address data, regional data, state data, countrydata, language data, or other types of geographical or census data foreach piece of printed material. Demographic data may include any dataabout the recipient or subscriber or class of recipients or subscribersof the printed media including personal data which may be used by aprinting device configured to print personalized content on the printedmedia during a finishing operation as well as information based uponregion, country, state, etc. Postal information may comprise anyinformation useful to a postal delivery service or useful in takingadvantage of the features offered by a postal delivery service includingpostal class data (e.g., as first class, second class, third class,standard, flat rate, and priority), private mailing services data (e.g.,for FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.), postal delivery information or sortinformation (e.g., carrier route number), zip code (e.g., 3 or 5 digitzip code data), sectional center facility (SCF) information, or anyother geographic or postal rate data. Personal data may include agedata, purchasing history data, buying habit data, income data, race orethnicity data, sex data, religious data, hobby data, or any other dataabout a person or class of persons. Book data may include informationabout the book, magazine, catalog, signature, or other printed materialbeing assembled including the title of the printed material, size datarepresenting a size of at least one dimension of the printed media(e.g., a length to be trimmed, a length post-trim, lengths or widths, orlocations/coordinates at which to set a knife or blade for trimming,etc.), page count, publisher, version, or any other information aboutthe book, magazine, catalog, signature or other printed media beingassembled. The variable data may be used, for example, to tailoradvertisements or may also include billing information that may beprovided on billing forms.

According to one example, variable data may comprise a map, text, and/orgraphics related to a retail store or stores or dealer in the vicinityof an address of a recipient of a printed publication. The map, text,and/or graphics may provide turn-by-turn directions, store address,store phone number, store hours, and/or other information relating tothe retail store.

According to another example, variable data may comprise bar codesrepresenting certain data or other information, for example addressdata, universal product code (UPC) data, price data, or other data.

According to another example, variable data may be demographic orgeographic data used in a printing system to determine which of aplurality of advertisements to print in a printed publication. Forexample, the printing system may select one of a plurality ofadvertisements associated with different income levels, gender, ageranges, or other demographic or geographic data and print theadvertisements in the printed publication associated with the relevantdemographic or geographic data.

According to another example, variable data may comprise informationprinted on a printed publication (e.g., in a header or footer or otherlocation of a printed publication) representing an advertisement for aparticular dealer or retail location based on a particular region towhich the publication is being distributed or mailed.

According to another exemplary embodiment, variable data may compriseinformation printed on product packaging representing product numbering,naming, expiration information, customization information, shipping ormailing information, or other information related to a product to bepackaged. In other embodiments, the variable data may be data directedto a certain geographic or demographic group.

For purposes of this disclosure, “fixed data” may be any commoninformation added or printed to multiple printed materials that does notchange for each printed material. This fixed data may include barcodes,names, locations, numbers, graphics, text, advertisements, articles,product numbers, product information, or any other information that maybe commonly printed on multiple printed materials.

For purposes of this disclosure, a “printing line” may be any type ofprinting press application. For example, a printing line may includeoffset or gravure applications where at least one layer is applied via aprinting blanket or plate or via a cylinder using one or more printingunits (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black printing units), oralternatively a digital type press such as traditional or drop-on-demandink jet technology presses.

For purposes of this disclosure a “finishing line” may be any in-line oroff-line process performed on the printed material after the printing isapplied (i.e., after the printing line). Such a process may includebinding (e.g., with glue or another adhesive or binder), stitching(e.g., with wire or another stitching material), trimming, gathering,collating, varnishing, laminating, embossing, bronzing, die-stamping,folding, perforating, punching, round cornering, padding, tin-edging,addressing, mail assembly and/or sorting, slitting, or wrapping tasks orfunctions, or any combination thereof. It is noted that a printing lineand finishing line may be combined in-line, at least in part, to performboth printing processes and finishing processes or they may be separatelines with the printed materials transferred from the printing line tothe finishing line for further processing. In either an inline oroffline finishing process a message, address, or other information thatincludes variable data may be included on blow-in material, bind-inmaterial, stickers, onserts, inserts, tipons, or other printedmaterials.

According to various exemplary embodiments including packaging, thepackaging can be printed with fixed data for substantially all discretepackaging units in a print run, with variable data for substantially allpackaging units, or any combination of fixed and variable data. Labelscan be printed with information and then applied to the product or otherproduct packaging.

Exemplary Color-Changeable Materials

A color-changeable material (alone or within a coating) may be added tothe surface of a printed or unprinted substrate. This can be done beforedata (fixed and/or variable) is printed. Alternatively, acolor-changeable material may be designed, fabricated, integrated, ormixed within the paper itself. The color-changeable material may bebetween at least two substrates, wherein the substrates may be the sametype of substrate or different substrates (e.g., one substrate beingpaper and one substrate being a laminate, or other substratecombinations). The color-changeable material may be embedded withinplastic, for example a plastic coating on a printed material or aplastic wrap around multiple printed materials. It is noted that thecolor-changeable material can be applied or added at any point in aprocess from paper manufacturing through shipping of a printed product.In one exemplary embodiment, paper can be supplied having thecolor-changeable material from a paper manufacturer. In such anembodiment, the color-changeable material can be applied during thepaper manufacturing process. In other embodiments, paper may be coatedwith one or more layers or portions of color-changeable materials orcoatings comprising a color-changeable material at a printing facility,before, during or after any of a printing line, a finishing line, aco-mailing line, etc. The color-changeable material may be applied by acoating applicator system which may comprise a sprayer, a press or printunit, a pad, a flexo press, ink jet type head, fan head, or othercoating applicator system or process, as described in greater detailbelow.

The coating may comprise a vehicle and a color-changeable material. In apreferred embodiment, the coating is translucent or transparent. In yetfurther embodiments, the coating does not provide a noticeable change topaper color, ink color, or varnish color as observed by an ordinaryconsumer of the print medium. In yet another embodiment, the coating iscolored or opaque.

The vehicle may be water based, UV curable, solvent based, or any othermaterial without limit to the vehicle composition. Common vehiclecomponent materials may comprise modified polyvinyl alcohols, opticalbrighteners (e.g., including but not limited to stilbene derivatives,clay, calcium carbonate, amorphous silica), and other commonly knowningredients in the paper making process (surfactants, biocides,defoamers, humectants, fillers, dyes, pigments, etc.). In one exemplaryembodiment, the coating may comprise a carbohydrate and a metal salt(e.g., alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, iron oxide/salts,organometallics, etc.). According to another exemplary embodiment, thecoating may comprise a vinyl chloride/acetate copolymer; a methyl ethylketone; and one or more of zinc chloride, zinc oxide, calcium silicate,kaolin, Zinc 3,5-di-tert butyl salicylate, or a ferrocenium salt.According to another exemplary embodiment, the coating may comprise avinyl chloride/acrylic acid copolymer, water, and zinc oxide. Accordingto another exemplary embodiment, the coating may comprise hydroxylpropyl cellulose, water, and magnesium chloride. According to anotherexemplary embodiment, the coating may comprise methyl hydroxy propylcellulose, water, and magnesium chloride. According to another exemplaryembodiment, the coating may comprise ethyl cellulose, ethanol, andcalcium hydroxide. According to another exemplary embodiment, thecoating may comprise sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, water, and calciumhydroxide. According to still another exemplary embodiment, the coatingmay comprise sodium carboxymethylcellulose, water, and magnesiumchloride (e.g., MgCl2.6H2O). According to yet another exemplaryembodiment, a mixture of wax and an ethanolic solution may be applied tothe coating.

The color-changeable material may be any material that can change coloror appearance upon irradiation with a laser or other energy source. Inone example, the color-changeable material may comprise inorganic metalsand compounds, color forming dyes, diacetylene pigments or polymers,other dyes and pigments (organic and/or inorganic), and/ormicroencapsulated materials (of single or multiple compositions).

According to other exemplary embodiments, the color-changeable materialmay be composed of a metal, molybdenum, titanium, zinc, apolydiacetylene-based compound, a diacetylene-based compound,ammoniumoctamolybdate (AOM), another molybdenum compound, a vanadiumcompound, a tungsten compound, a compound containing a transitionalmetal, or any other material that may allow, promote, provide, or have acomposition adequate for changing of color in response to an energysource such as a laser, heat, or other light exposure.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the color-changeable material maybe mixed with a solvent based or water based vehicle in a concentrationranging from about 1% to about 80, or about 1% to about 40% w/v.According to another exemplary embodiment, the color-changeable materialmay be mixed in a varnish, for example a modified or non modified talloil rosin base in a concentration ranging from about 1% to about 50%w/v, or about 1% to about 30% w/v. According to other exemplaryembodiments, the color-changeable material may be combined in an aqueousor non-aqueous solution or material. The color-changeable material orcoating can be generally applied at a thickness of about 1 to about 50microns, about 0.5 to about 25 microns, about 1 to about 15 microns,about 1 to about 10 microns, about 1 to about 7 microns, and about 2 toabout 7 microns; however, according to other exemplary embodiments, thecoating may be applied at other thicknesses greater than or less thanthe stated ranges. The coating may be applied to both coated anduncoated paper stock. For example, water based coatings may be used withuncoated paper and solvent based coatings may be used with coated paperor nonabsorbtive substrates. In other examples, polymers which willcrosslink may be used in coatings used on nonabsorbtive substrates.Examples of polymers that may be used with solvent based systems includepolyvinylbutyrals, cellulose acetoproprionate, cellulose acetatebutyrate and nitrocellulose or copolymers of vinyl acetate/vinylchloride as well as energy curable polymers such as but not limited toacrylic, epoxy or any other curable vehicle including urethane resins,epoxy resins, or unsaturated oils such as linseed oil or derivativesthere of, or any other organic binder. Driers may also be used to drythe coatings after they are applied to the substrate. Drying systems mayinclude, for example, infrared driers or convection ovens. Othersuitable drying systems may include both heat and exhaust to removesolvents, which will aid in drying coatings that use solvents withhigher boiling points. The coating may also contain catalysts to enhancethe rate of drying. One of the components for the catalysts may be apolyvalent metal salt. In one embodiment, the polyvalent metal salt maybe substantially soluble in water. The salt may comprise a polyvalentmetal cation and an inorganic or organic anion component. The polyvalentmetal cation may be selected from Ca2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Ba2+,Al3+, Fe3+ and Cr3+. The anion component of the polyvalent metal saltmay selected from a nitrate group, a chlorate group, a carboxylate groupand a halogen ion such as Cl—, I—, and Br—. A particular embodiment of apolyvalent metal salt is calcium chloride dehydrate. The amount ofpolyvalent metal salt in the promoter formulation may be between about 2to about 10 percent by weight of the formulation.

Variable and/or fixed data (i.e., text and/or graphics) may be printedusing the color-changeable material or coating and may be printed incolor or in monochrome (e.g., black). It is noted that in certainexemplary embodiments where a printing surface is of a relatively darkcolor (e.g., black, red, blue, etc.), black print may not by readilyvisible by a consumer. Accordingly, on such a surface the data may beprinted in a contrasting color, such as white on black, by changing thecolor-changeable material.

The coatings, as they relate to commercial printing, may include an ink,a varnish, a glue or other adhesive, a dye, a pigment, or any otherlayer that may be promote color change, or any combination thereof. Thecoating may include or be combined with an additive to facilitate achange of color. Such additives may include carbon black pigment,infrared (IR) or near infrared (NIR) absorbers such as copper hydroxylphosphate (CHP), copper hydroxide phosphate, tin oxide, or any othermetal salts capable of absorbing energy in the form of radiation, ordyes capable of absorbing the radiation such as but not limited toN,N,N′,N′-Tetrakis(4-dibutylaminophenyl)-p-phenylene diaminiumdehexafluoroantimonate, a conducting polymer such as Baytron P availablefrom HC Starck of Newton, Mass., Iriodin LS820 available from Merck ofWhitehouse Station, N.J., Pro-Jet 900NP available from Avecia ofCleveland, UK, or any other NIR absorber or other material that mayfacilitate laser treatment of a coating alone or in combination with aradical initiator or generator, a photoacid, or any other compound whichupon activation initiates the desired color change as then end effect.Other near IR absorbers can also be chosen from the group comprisingtransition metal salts, sulfides, clays, micas, TiO2, carbonates,oxides, talc, silicates, aluminosilicates, dyes, metal complex dyes,conducting polymers and combinations thereof or any other inorganiccompound which absorbs infrared radiation. Thermal radical initiatorsmay also be used such as ABCN or AIBN or any thermal radical initiatoravailable, for example as available from Dupont, that may trigger colorchange in a coating. UV Photoacid generators (PAGs) may also be used,such as bisphenol A, for example as available from Dow Industrial andCiba.

Table 1 below describes a number of example thermal free radicalinitiators that may be used. Amines can significantly increase thedecomposition rates of peroxides, e.g., addition of N,N-dimethyl anilineto benzyl peroxide causes the latter to decompose rapidly at roomtemperature. Per sulfate decomposition is generally pH dependent.

TABLE 1 Decomposition Rates and 10-Hour Half-life Temperatures of CommonThermal Initiators (arranged alphabetically by initiator) [“PolymerHandbook”, Eds. Brand up, J; Immerged, EX.; Grille, IA., 4th Edition,John Wiley, New York, 1999, II/2-69; Aldrich Catalog No. Z41,247-3.]Aldrich 10 h Half-life Cat. No. Initiator Solvent T(° C.) K_(d)(s⁻¹) °C. (Solvent) 44,146-5 tert-Amyl peroxybenzoate 99 (benzene) 11,816-8 4,4Azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) Acetone 70 4.6 × 10⁻⁵ 69 (water) Water 691.9 × 10⁻⁵ Water 80 9.0 × 10⁻⁵ 38,021-0 1,1′- Toluene 80 6.5 × 10⁻⁵ 88(toluene) Azobis(cyclohexanecarbonitrile) 95 5.4 × 10⁻⁵ 102 1.3 × 10⁻⁴44,109-0 2,2′-Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) Benzene 50 2.2 × 10⁻⁶ 65(toluene) 70 3.2 × 10⁻⁵ 100 1.5 × 10⁻³ 17,998-1 Benzoyl peroxide²Benzene 60 2.0 × 10⁻⁶ 70 (benzene) 78 2.3 × 10⁻⁵ 100 5.0 × 10⁻⁴ 44,169-42,2-Bis(tert-butylperoxy)butane Benzene 100(benzene) 38,814-91,1-Bis(tert- Benzene 93 1.9 × 10⁻⁵ butylperoxy)cyclohexane 38,809-22,5-Bis(tert-butylperoxy)-2,5- Benzene 115 1.1 × 10⁻⁵ 120 (benzene)dimethylhexane 145 4.7 × 10⁻⁴ 32,953-3 2,5-Bis(tert-butylperoxy)-2,5-Benzene 125 (benzene) dimethyl-3-hexyne 44,171-6Bis(1-(tert-butylperoxy)-1- Benzene 115 (benzene) methylethyl)benzene38,808-4 1,1-Bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5- Benzene 85 (dibutyltrimethylcyclohexane phthalate) 41,666-5 tert-Butyl hydroperoxideBenzene 130  3 × 10⁻⁷ 170 (benzene) 160 6.6 × 10⁻⁶ 170 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ 1833.1 × 10⁻⁵ 38,807-6 tert-Butyl peracetate Benzene 85 1.2 × 10⁻⁶ 100(benzene) 100 1.5 × 10⁻⁵ 130 5.7 × 10⁻⁴ 16,852-1 tert-Butyl peroxideBenzene 80 7.8 × 10⁻⁸ 125 (benzene) 100 8.8 × 10⁻⁷ 130 3.0 × 10⁻⁵15,904-2 tert-Butyl peroxybenzoate Benzene 100 1.1 × 10⁻⁵ 103 (benzene)130 3.5 × 10⁻⁴ 44,147-3 tert-Butylperoxy isopropyl Benzene 98 (aliphaticcarbonate hydrocarbons) 24,750-2 Cumene hydroperoxide Benzene 115 4.0 ×10⁻⁷ 135 (toluene) 145 6.6 × 10⁻⁶ 28,908-6 Cyclohexanone peroxideBenzene 90 (benzene) 32,954-1 Dicumyl peroxide Benzene 115 (benzene)29,078-5 Lauroyl peroxide Benzene 40 4.9 × 10⁻⁷ 65 (benzene) 60 9.2 ×10⁻⁶ 85 3.8 × 10⁻⁴ 44,182-1 2,4-Pentanedione peroxide 125 (triethylphosphate) 26,933-6 Peracetic acid 135 (toluene) 21,622-4 Potassiumpersulfate³ Water 80 6.9 × 10⁻⁵ 60 (H₂O) 0.1M 50 9.5 × 10⁻⁷ 70 (0.1MNaOH 60 3.2 × 10⁻⁶ NaOH) 80 9.2 × 10⁻⁵ 90 3.5 × 10⁻⁴

According to one exemplary embodiment, the laser may affect a colorchange in the color-changeable material at the locations at which thelaser beam strikes the coating. In one embodiment, the greater theselected energy from the laser, the more intense the color or differentcolors. For example, a laser beam with a higher intensity may provide amore intense color or different colors than a laser beam of a lowerintensity. Likewise, a laser beam that is applied to a coating for alonger period of time than another laser beam may provide a more intensecolor or different colors. The coating and energy can be configured sothat different types of phase changes occur that result in differentcolors. For example, different frequencies from the laser may cause thecoating to provide different colors or intensities. According to oneexemplary embodiment, the laser may be capable of printing in asubtractive color space, including for example at least RGB (red, blue,green), at least RBY (red, blue, yellow), and/or any one of red, green,blue, yellow, cyan, magenta, black, or a combination thereof. Accordingto another exemplary embodiment, the laser may be capable of printing inwhite. According to other exemplary embodiments, the laser may changethe coating to any color that may be the effect of a phase change. Phasechange in polymerized diacetylenes alters the effective conjugationlength which leads to visual color changes of the material. Theseproperties can be thermally reversible or irreversible depending on thechemistry selected.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the energy source may beconfigured to change the color of the color-changeable material bychanging an oxidization state of the color-changeable material. Forexample, molybdenum ions may be used as a color-changeable material. Themolybdenum ions may be combined into a coating that has a first color.By irradiating the coating with a laser beam, the oxidation state of themolybdenum ions may decrease (e.g., from +4 to +3, from +6 to +5, etc.),which may occur from oxygen elimination or transfer of electrons fromnearby organic material that is oxidized (loses electrons) upon heating.The coating may then change to a second color (e.g., black). It is notedthat according to other exemplary embodiments, any other ions and/ormetals (e.g., transition metal ions such as vanadium, tungsten or othertransition metal elements) may be added to the coating that are capableof having their oxidation state changed by a laser and that change colorwhen irradiated with the laser.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the energy source may beconfigured to change the color of the color-changeable material bypolymerizing the color-changeable materials. For example, acolor-changeable material may include a number of carbon chains,acetylenic or polyacetylenic compounds, and other molecules. An exampleof such material includes diacetylene-based molecules. When the coatingis irradiated by the laser, bonds between carbon atoms of the carbonchains and the atoms of the other molecules may break into free radicalcarbenes. Thereafter, the free carbon radicals may attack othermolecules to initiate polymerization of the color-changeable material.Appearance of color from the color-changeable material may be due to theformation of the polymers containing the conjugated bonds and theability of the conjugated bonds or polymerized molecules to absorb adifferent spectrum of light. This polymerization and variable absorptionmay ultimately change the color of the coating. For example,10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid may be milled into a solution of 10%polyvinyl alcohol. The coating can be applied to uncoated paper using aMeyer bar and allowed to dry at ambient temperature. Upon irradiation atabout 254 nm, the coating may turn blue. Heating the coating or applyinghigher intensity radiation can then turn the coating red and eventuallya golden yellow color, it is believed by further conjugating bonds ofthe polymerized molecules. In another embodiment, a single color can beachieved by incorporating a lactone or fluoran compound such as one ofthe Pergascript leuco dyes available from Ciba along with bis-phenol Ain a 1:1 ratio in a 10% polyvinyl alcohol solution. It is noted that thesolutions are not limited to the amounts described above, for examplethe leuco dye can be between about 1% and about 25% by weight. Thecoating can be applied using a meyer bar and may be allowed to dry atambient conditions or with gentle heating. Sensitizers, for examplenaphthyl benzyl ether, paraffin wax, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsor aromatic ketone compounds may also be included to adjust to desiredthermal sensitivity.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the energy source may beconfigured to change the color of the color-changeable material bybreaking an encapsulant to release a dye in the coating. In suchexamples, the coating may further include a developer. For example, thecoating may include a leuco dye surrounded by a membrane sensitive toconcentrated light, such as from a laser. The capsule may be comprisedof any number of formaldehyde/melamine or urea materials or any otherpolymerizable materials. The capsule may also comprise materials whichcause the capsule to rupture under radiation. As an example, suchmaterials may include, but not be limited to, the inclusion of tolueneor any of a number of volatile organic compounds. When energy, such aslaser energy, hits the capsule the membrane may rupture and release thedye into the coating and thus change the color of the coating to thecolor of the dye. Table 2 below lists a number of developers that may beused according to exemplary embodiments.

TABLE 2 List of Example Developers[http://www.tcieurope.eu/en/product/materials-chem/F016.shtml].1,1′-Methylenedi-2-naphthol 1,1,1-Tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane1,1-Bis(3-cyclohexyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane1,1-Bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)cyclohexane1,1-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexanel,3-Bis[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propyl]benzene 1-Naphthol 2,2′-Biphenol2,2-Bis(2-hydroxy-5-biphenylyl)propane2,2-Bis(3-cyclohexyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane2,2-Bis(3-sec-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane2,2-Bis(4-hydroxy-3-isopropylphenyl)propane2,2-Bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)propane 2,2-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane2,3,4-Trihydroxydiphenylmethane 2-Naphthol4,4′-(1,3-Dimethylbutylidene)diphenol 4,4′-(2-Ethylhexylidene)diphenol4,4′-(2-Hydroxybenzylidene)bis(2,3,6-trimethylphenol) 4,4′-Biphenol4,4′-Dihydroxydiphenyl Ether 4,4′-Dihydroxydiphenylmethane4,4′-Ethylidenebisphenol 4,4′-Methylenebis(2-methylphenol)4-(1,1,3,3-Tetramethylbutyl)phenol 4-Phenylphenol 4-tert-ButylphenolZone Refined (number of passes: 19) 9,9-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorenealpha,alpha′-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4-diisopropylbenzenealpha,alpha,alpha′-Tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-ethyl-4-isopropylbenzeneBenzyl 4-Hydroxybenzoate Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) SulfideBis(4-hydroxyphenyl) Sulfone Methyl 4-Hydroxybenzoate ResorcinolTetrabromobisphenol A

According to another exemplary embodiment, the energy source may beconfigured to change the color of the color-changeable material bychanging a phase of the material. In some embodiments, a phase changemay lead to an irreversible color change as seen in leucodye chemistry.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the energy source may beconfigured to change the color of the color-changeable material bychanging an effective conjugation length of the material. For example,monomer diacetylenes have low variable melting points. However, oncepolymerized, a thermal decomposition or a glass transition-like (at aglass transition temperature Tg) change is seen.

Application of Color-Changeable Material to Substrate

According to one exemplary embodiment, the coating may be applied by aroll coater. In another exemplary embodiment the coating may be appliedby use of an imprinter (e.g., of a cylindrical shape). In still anotherexemplary embodiment, the coating may be applied as a coating by an inkjet spray or other sprayer. As stated above, the coating may be appliedby a coating applicator system which may comprise a sprayer, a press orprint unit, a pad, a flexo press, ink jet type head, fan head, or othercoating applicator system or process. The coating applicator system maydepend on the application. For example, a roller or pad may be used forlaser treatment as part of a press operation, while a sprayer may beused for laser treatment as part of a finishing operation.

Color-changeable materials may be provided to areas spanningsubstantially an entire sheet of a substrate (e.g., a sheet, acontinuous web, etc. which may be paper, packaging, other materials,etc.) or substantially an entire printing area of the substrate (e.g.,which may be less than about 95% of a width of the substrate, less thanabout 80%, less than about 50%, less than about 25%, less than about10%).

Color-changeable material may be applied to an entire substrate or onlysubstantially to areas which may be printed by the selected energysource or laser printing system.

According to one exemplary process, a paper substrate is manufactured bya paper manufacturing entity by adding a color-changeable material tothe paper substrate as a coating, to or within the paper compositionwhen in liquid form, or at other steps in the paper manufacturingprocess. The color-changeable material or materials may be infused inthe substrate, such as a paper composition, absorbed by the papercomposition, combined with the paper composition, or otherwise combinedwith or made with or integrated within the paper composition. The resultmay be a stack of printed sheets, a continuous web of paper on a roll,etc. The paper substrate with color-changeable material is then packagedand shipped to a user, such as a printing entity (e.g., Quad/Graphics,Inc. of Sussex, Wis.), a publishing entity, or other user entity.

According to another exemplary process, the printing entity or otherthird party may apply the color-changeable material as a coating to apaper substrate received from a paper manufacturing entity. Exemplarysystems for implementing such a process are shown in FIG. 24. In a firstembodiment, a substrate source 2400 provides a substrate 2402 to acolor-changeable material print unit 2404. The color-changeable materialprint unit 2404 provides the substrate to a laser print unit 2406.Elements 2400-2406 may be part of a finishing line or a printing line.In this embodiment, print unit 2404 is in-line with the laser print unit2406. The substrate source 2400 may comprise a roll of a continuous webof paper, a stack of sheets of paper, etc., and a feed device configuredto feed the substrate 2402 to the color-changeable material print unit2404. The printing entity may apply the color-changeable material usingthe print unit 2404, such as a web offset or gravure print unit havingplates configured to represent the printing area of the substrate (e.g.,in rectangular, circular, square, or other form). For example, on acover of a printed publication, print unit 2404 may be configured toprint a coating sized to receive print representing an address blockrepresenting an address of a recipient of the printed publication. Inanother example, as shown in the embodiment comprising elements2400A-2406A, a color-changeable material applicator 2404A (which may bea spray unit in this embodiment) may be provided on a printing line(i.e. in-line with a commercial print unit 2403) before, between, orafter any of the color-specific print units 2403 in the printing line(e.g., CMYK units). In this manner, a portion of a printed publicationmay be created by printing in a web offset or gravure printing stepwhile another portion of a printed publication is created by printingusing a color-changeable material. Further, one or more colors may beprinted with halftone dots or other markings having a predetermineddensity, dot size, etc. using a web offset, gravure, or other printingoperation while other colors may be created using a color-changeablematerial and laser printing system described herein and overlaid tocreate a full range of colors (e.g., at least ten, twenty, or onehundred different perceptibly-different colors), as will be described ingreater detail below.

Additional Characteristics of Exemplary Color-Changeable Materials

Exemplary color-changeable materials may be translucent and morepreferably transparent or invisible before, during, or subsequent toapplication to or within the substrate or after drying, before beingsubjected to energy from the energy source. For example, a coatingapplied over a colored substrate may allow the colored substrate to bevisible through the coating.

Exemplary color-changeable materials when applied to or within asubstrate may, when dry, be malleable and capable of folding, cutting,etc. without cracking, scoring, marking, scratching, etc. The substratecomprising the color-changeable material or materials may also be of asufficient composition to withstand large temperature differences (e.g.,about −40 degrees C. to 100 degrees C.). The substrate may also beresistant to subsequent marking after treatment with the energy source,for example, by heat, cold, moisture, ambient light, sunlight, etc.,which could fade or change the shading of the colored substrate.

Exemplary color-changeable materials may also exhibit selectivity inresponse to different treatments. For example, the color-changeablematerials for forming each color should change to the desired color atparameters (e.g., wavelength of light, fluence, intensity, duration oftreatment, etc.) different than others of the color-changeable materialswhich coat or are within the substrate. This selectivity may simplifycontrol of which colors are formed in response to different parameters.For example, the parameters of the energy source needed to turn anadditive blue should be controllably different than the parameters ofthe energy source needed to turn the same or second color-changeablematerial yellow.

Color-changeable materials may comprise additives, compounds,compositions, or other materials in the same composition or material, ormay be in separate coatings or materials, or one integrated within thesubstrate and the second within a coating overlaying the substrate.Preferably, one coating may be applied comprising all additives ormaterials for all colors needed for a printing operation (e.g., CMYK(cyan, magenta, yellow, black), RGB (red, green, blue), RBY (red, blue,yellow), black and white, red and white, blue and white, or other colorcombinations). In another preferred embodiment, one additive or materialis configured to change to each of the two, three, four, or more colorsneeded for a desired printing operation. Alternatively, differentcoatings may be used on the substrate for each of the two, three, four,or more colors needed for a desired printing operation.

Color-changeable materials may be applied with a coating thickness ofabout fifteen microns or less, about ten microns or less, about sixmicrons or less, about three microns or less, or greater than about 3microns or greater than about 6 microns in thickness.

The color-changeable materials may transform through at least a portionof the spectrum of visible color. In one embodiment, thecolor-changeable material may permit trapping if there is an incompletecure in one pass (for example when using a diacetylene) that then allowsfor marking of a second color by additional irradiation. Thecolor-changeable material may also exhibit dot gain-type properties,energy scattering, e.g., laser light scattering, as well as heattransfer to areas surrounding directly irradiated area.

Exemplary Energy Sources

According to some exemplary embodiments, printing of data (e.g., text orgraphics) may be accomplished using a laser, for example a deflected orsingle-source laser, such as a scribing or vector-based laser which maybe a fiber laser, a non-deflected or multiple-source laser, such as alaser diode array, which may be a raster or dot matrix type laser, orany combination thereof. Deflected or reflected refers to acharacteristic of a laser source in which a mirror or other reflectiveelement is used to aim, steer, or point the laser beam to a desireddirection. The laser can be a UV, near infrared, far infrared, gamma,x-ray, YAG, or CO2 laser or any other laser or light source with apower, wavelength, frequency, and/or other laser parameters configuredto change the color of at least a portion of a color-changeable materialor coating covering at least a portion of a substrate or anothercolor-changeable material or coating (e.g., multiple coatings may covera substrate). The laser may be in the form of a scribing laser, fiberlaser, a laser pump, a fiber-optic matrix, a laser diode, a laser diodearray or any other form. A fiber laser is a laser in which the activegain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth elements such aserbium, ytterbium, neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium, and thulium. Thelaser may emit a beam having a wavelength of between about 0.1 angstromand about 1 mm, between about 0.5 nanometer and about 100 micrometers,or between about 10 nm and about 1400 nanometers, or any combinationthereof. In another embodiment, the laser may emit a beam having awavelength greater than about 0.1 angstrom, greater than about 0.5 nm,greater than about 10 nm, greater than about 900 nm, greater than about1400 nm, less than about 500 nm, or less than about 1 mm. The power ofthe laser may be between about 1 mW and about 100 W, between about 100mW and 50 W, and between about 500 mW and about 10 W. In anotherembodiment, the laser may have a power of greater than about 1 mW,greater than about 100 mW, or greater than about 500 mW. The color ofthe coating may be changed by the laser to reflect the data to beprinted (e.g., a personal message, other variable data, fixed data,etc.). This color may be changed by adjusting the frequency, phase,power, fluence, or other parameter of the laser.

In various alternative embodiments, the laser or other energy source maybe configured to print on the substrate by marking, coloring,imprinting, affecting, or otherwise coloring (e.g., with any color,including black and white) the color-changeable material, either alonein the coating or within the substrate. The material may comprise acolor alterable material, composition, compound, or additive, and may besubject to a phase change, oxidization change, polymerization, or otherprocess, as described in greater detail below.

One example of a suitable laser is a Videojet 3320 laser marking systemcommercially available from Videojet Technologies of Wood Dale, Ill.This laser marking system includes a sealed-off CO2 laser rated at anoutput of 30 Watts and a 10.6 μm wavelength with a SHC 60 focusing lens.It is noted that according to other exemplary embodiments, other typesof CO2 lasers, fiber lasers, laser diodes, laser diode arrays, UVlasers, near infrared diode lasers, YAG lasers, arrays of other lasers(e.g., CO2 lasers) or other lasers with sufficient power and fluence tochange the color of a coating may be used. In one exemplary embodiment,the laser may be at least a 20 Watt laser. Various types of exemplarylasers are included in the table below:

Laser tech- Manufacturer Part number Power output nology WavelengthVideojet 3320 30 Watts CO2 10,600 nm DataLase FL20 20 Watts Fiber 1070nm Domino DSL1 25 Watt CO2 10,600 nm Macsa K1030 Plus 30 Watt CO2 10,600nm Macsa K1060 Plus 60 Watt CO2 10,600 nm Keyence ML-G9300 30 Watt CO210,600 nm Control Laser Concord 25 and 50 watt CO2 10,600 nm CorporationCO2 PowerMark Control Laser ProWriter 20 Watts Fiber 1064 nm CorporationFL20 Control Laser ProWriter 25 Watt YAG 1064 nm Corporation D25TControl Laser ProWriter 50 Watt YAG 1064 nm Corporation D50

DataLase lasers are available from DataLase Inc. of Norcross, Ga. Dominolasers are available from Domino Printing Sciences of Cambridge, UK.Macsa lasers are available from Macsa Laser Solutions of Barcelona,Spain. Keyence lasers are available from Keyence Corporation of Americaof Woodcliffe Lake, N.J. Control Laser Corporation lasers are availablefrom Control Laser Corporation USA of Orlando, Fla. Other lasers mayinclude UV lasers (e.g., a UV diode pump) at about 266 nm, a UV laser atapproximately 5 watts, a diode array laser at about 980 nm, a quadruplefrequency YAG laser, a broadband UV lamp, a Blu-ray™ UV laser at about405 nm, or other lasers. An exemplary laser diode array may compriseSuper High Efficiently Diodes (SHED). An exemplary laser may be a 400 mWNIR laser manufactured by Quantel, in France. Another approach is to usean NIR laser and to apply a harmonic converter to generate UVwavelengths.

In other embodiments, including embodiments using laser diodes or laserdiode arrays, each laser diode may be powered with about 0.4 watts toabout 5 watts per element, or about 1 to about 3 watts per element, orbetween about 1 mW and about 100 W, or between about 100 mW and 50 W, orbetween about 500 mW and about 10 W, or approximately 400 mW per elementin a diode array, or approximately 200 mW per element in a diode array.In another embodiment, each laser diode may be powered with greater thanabout 1 mW, greater than about 100 mW, or greater than about 500 mW perelement. In another embodiment, each laser diode may be powered withabout 1 W per element, greater than about 500 mW and/or less than about2 W, greater than about 750 mW and/or less than about 1.5 mW, or otherpowers.

Such diodes and diode arrays may emit either NIR energy or UV energy,including Blu-ray® laser technology at 405 nm. In other embodiments, thelaser may emit a beam having a wavelength of between about 0.1 angstromand about 1 mm, between about 0.5 nanometer and about 100 micrometers,or between about 10 nm and about 1400 nanometers, between about 266 nmand about 980 nm, or any combination thereof. In another embodiment, thelaser may emit a beam having a wavelength greater than about 0.1angstrom, greater than about 0.5 nm, greater than about 10 nm, greaterthan about 900 nm, greater than about 1400 nm, less than about 500 nm,or less than about 1 mm.

According to some exemplary embodiments, a UV laser beam with awavelength of less than about 400 nm may be used to change the color ofa Diactelylene or Polydiacetylene (PDA) color-changeable material.According to other exemplary embodiments, a UV laser beam with awavelength of greater than about 400 nm may be used to change the colorof a color-changeable material composed of a combination of a PDA and aPhoto-Acid-Generator (PAG).

Diode arrays may be fabricated or grown on wafers that can be combinedto achieve variable lengths to be used for the specific application. Thediode wafers may be cleaved to any desired length. Embodiments of laserdiode arrays may be from about 1 inch to about 72 inches in anydimension, from about 1 inch to about 8 inches, at least about 1 inch,at least about 2 inches, at least about 8 inches. Such lasers may alsobe used with harmonic converters. According to some exemplaryembodiments, the laser diode arrays may be of any length that is amultiple of about 10 mm.

In exemplary embodiments including laser diodes, the laser may include athermal management system to reduce the amount of heat emitted from orabsorbed by the electrode configuration of each laser diode. Theelectrodes may be fastened to a substrate or other element of the laserdiode using a heat resistive adhesive. The cavity of one or moreelectrodes may be elongated to produce more power. The laser diode arraymay be manufactured by growing diode wafers. The diode wafers may becleaved to any desired length.

Exemplary Printing and Finishing Speeds and Resolutions

In commercial printing, the laser may be used to affect a color changeof at least a portion of a color-changeable material on a substratemoving along a printing line or finishing line at a predetermined speedthat facilitates printing or finishing. According to various exemplaryembodiments, printing speeds for web-offset, gravure type, digitalpresses, custom web printing (e.g., press and finishing or mailing on asingle line) or other printing processes may include speeds more or lessthan about 8000 ft/min, more or less than about 4000 ft/min, more orless than about 3000 ft/min, more or less than about 1500 ft/min, moreor less than about 1000 ft/min, more or less than about 500 ft/min, ormore or less than about 250 ft/min. According to one variousembodiments, printing speeds may include speeds greater than about 250ft/min and less than about 8000 ft/min, greater than about 250 ft/minand less than about 4000 ft/min, greater than about 500 ft/min and lessthan about 4000 ft/min, greater than about 500 ft/min and less thanabout 3000 ft/min, greater than about 800 ft/min and less than about3000 ft/min, greater than about 250 ft/min and less than about 1000ft/min, greater than about 800 ft/min and less than about 3000 ft/min,greater than about 350 ft/min and less than about 500 ft/min, etc.

The laser may also be used to affect a color change of at least aportion of the color-changeable material on a substrate or other printedmaterial on a finishing line. According to various exemplaryembodiments, materials may move through a finishing line (e.g., on aconveyor) at finishing conveyor speeds (which carry the printedmaterials such as signatures or other printed publications to betreated) at speeds of more or less than about 800 pieces/min, more orless than about 700 pieces/min, more or less than about 600 pieces/min,more or less than about 450 pieces/min, more or less than about 250pieces/min, more or less than about 200 pieces/min, etc. According tovarious exemplary embodiments, finishing conveyor speeds may be morethan about 200 pieces/min and less than about 800 pieces/min, more thanabout 250 pieces/min and less than about 800 pieces/min, more than about450 pieces/min and less than about 800 pieces/min, and so on. Accordingto various exemplary embodiments, finishing conveyor speeds may be morethan about 230 ft/min, more than about 290 ft/min, more than about 525ft/min, more than about 700 ft/min, more than about 815 ft/min, and morethan about 930 ft/min. According to various exemplary embodiments,finishing conveyor speeds may be more than about 230 ft/min and lessthan about 930 ft/min, more than about 290 ft/min and less than about930 ft/min, more than about 525 ft/min and less than about 930 ft/min,etc. In some instances, pieces/minute can be used to roughly calculatethe speed of the conveyor at feet/minute equal to about (#pieces perminute*14)/12.

The distance from the laser to the substrate may vary depending on thetype of laser used, including for example its wavelength and power.According to one exemplary embodiment, the distance of a laser from theprint medium may be less than about 15 inches. According to otherexemplary embodiments, the distance of a laser from the print medium maybe less than 1 mm, greater than about 0.1 mm, between about 0.1 mm andabout 15 inches, or between about 1 mm and 15 inches, depending on thetype of lens and laser used. In this regard, one may achieve greatermarking speeds by placing the laser at a further distance from thesubstrate due to less distance the laser will have to move to print acharacter and because of the increased size of the print window. As thedistance between the laser and the substrate decreases, less variance inprint may occur due to vibration of the laser or movement of thesubstrate.

In one embodiment, the laser source is remote from the paper medium andfiber optic cables are used to communicate the light from the lasersource to the paper. Such an embodiment allows the laser source to beplaced in a less harsh environment and allows for improved cooling ofthe laser source. According to another exemplary embodiment, the datamay be printed using other energy types, for example, an electron beam,gamma beams, x-ray beams, thermal IR, far IR or any other energy orlight type generally capable of causing a phase changes so that thecolor of the coating may be changed selectively.

In one embodiment, the laser may achieve the desired marking speeds forcommercial printing (either on the printing or finishing lines) by useof a system adapted to receive and output at least about 5 bytes orcharacters (e.g., about 40 bits) of data from a source of variable orfixed print data for printing every machine cycle. For purposes of thisdisclosure, a “machine cycle” may be the amount of time that it takes toprint variable data on a single item of printed material via lasertreatment as it moves along the line. According to other exemplaryembodiments, the system may be adapted to output between about 5 andabout 200 bytes or characters per cycle. According to various exemplaryembodiments, the system may be configured to output more than or lessthan about 50 characters per printed publication, or more than or lessthan any of about 5, 10, 15, 50, 200, 500, or 1000 characters perprinted publication. The laser may be configured for more than about 200bytes or characters of data per cycle by using higher-speed datacommunication interfaces (e.g., Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB),etc.), cache data source, less control data, use of multiple lasers, useof faster mirrors, such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) fordirecting the laser beam, and other improvements in laser systems.

To calculate the number of characters printed per minute by the laser,one multiplies the number of characters output by the system by theprinting press or finishing speeds (e.g., between about 200 and about700 books/min). For example, if 5 characters are output by the systemper cycle at a finish speed of about 200-about 700 books/min, accordingto various embodiments, printing speeds on the finishing line mayinclude speeds between about 1000 char/min and about 3500 char/min.According to other exemplary embodiments where about 200 characters areprinted per cycle at a finish speed of about 200-700 books/min, printingspeeds on the finishing line may include speeds between about 40,000char/min and about 140,000 char/min.

According to other exemplary embodiments where a Domino DSL1 laser withseven tubes and a printing capacity for two lines per tube is used, thesystem and laser may be adapted to print at about 820 ft/min. At twelvecharacters per inch and fourteen inch pin centers, the laser may printat about 288 characters per cycle.

Variable and/or fixed data may be printed with a resolution of more orless than about 75 dots per inch (dpi), about 100 dpi, about 200 dpi,about 300 dpi, about 600 dpi, about 720 dpi, about 1000 dpi, about 1500dpi, about 2000 dpi, about 2500 dpi, about 3000 dpi, or about 5000 dpi.The data may be printed with a resolution of greater than about 300 dpiand less than about 600 dpi (e.g., when used on a finishing line),greater than about 600 dpi and less than about 720 dpi (e.g., when usedon a press or printing line), greater than about 300 dpi and less thanabout 720 dpi, greater than about 75 dpi and less than about 1000 dpi,etc. These resolutions may be used at speeds described above or at leastabout 1000 ft/min (e.g., in a press or printing line configuration), atleast about 500 ft/min or between about 350 and about 500 ft/min (e.g.,on a finishing line), etc.

According to other exemplary embodiments, the laser may be used toaffect a color change of at least a portion of a color-changeablematerial on a product or on packaging moving along a packaging line at apredetermined speed. According to some exemplary embodiments, thepackaging may travel past the laser at a rate of at least about one footper second. According to other exemplary embodiments, the packaging maytravel past the laser at a rate of less than about ten feet per second.According to some exemplary embodiments, the laser may change the colorof the packaging at a rate of between about 5 and about 200 charactersper packaging unit as the packaging travels by the laser. According toother exemplary embodiments, the laser may change the color of thepackaging at a rate greater than about 200 characters per packaging unitor fewer than about 5 characters per packaging unit as the packagingtravels by the laser. According to some exemplary embodiments, the lasermay mark the color changeable material with a resolution of betweenabout 600 dpi and about 720 dpi. According to other exemplaryembodiments, the laser may mark the color changeable material with aresolution of less than about 600 dpi or greater than about 720 dpi.

Communication

According to various exemplary embodiments, the system may communicatewith the laser and/or printing or finishing line via a wired or wirelessconnection. According to other exemplary embodiments, this communicationmay by facilitated over Ethernet, LAN, USB, Firewire, RD-232, or RS-485connections or another type of serial, parallel, or opticalcommunication protocol, such as a proprietary communication protocol.According to other exemplary embodiments, the communication may byfacilitated over a WAN, WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, RF, cellular, or anotherwireless communication protocol. These communication protocols can beused between a source of variable or fixed data and the laser (e.g., ata wired or wireless interface), or between other components of thesystem.

Location of Laser or Energy Source Printing Apparatus

A laser or energy source printing apparatus, such as a laser, can beplaced anywhere along a printing line, a finishing line, or a packagingline. Variable and/or fixed data may be printed to materials, such as,for example, a paper web or paper sheet or packaging, that alreadyincludes fixed data printed thereon or to materials prior to printingfixed data thereon. Examples of where the laser may be placed in acommercial printing operation include at the beginning, end or at anypoint along any of (1) a printing line including, for example, before orafter application of at least one layer of coating, before or afterapplication of at least four layers of coatings such as CMYK colors,etc.; (2) a binding line, including a saddle stitching or perfectbinding line; (3) a pre- or post-trimming operation; (4) a pre- orpost-wrapping operation; (5) a mailing table; or (6) a mailing ordelivery line. In another embodiment, the print media may be printedwith fixed or variable data after blending of materials for combinedmailing, which may be printed on a wrapper, through a wrapper onto theprinted material within the wrapper, on a label affixed to the wrapper,etc. In one embodiment, the underside or inside of the pages of theprinting medium may be printed with fixed or variable data during afinishing or binding process. According to an exemplary embodiment,fixed or variable data may be printed on the outside or exposed sheetsof a printing medium.

Examples of where the laser may be placed in a packaging operationinclude at the beginning, end or at any point before or after apackaging feeder (e.g., primary packaging, secondary packaging, tertiarypackaging, etc.), a product feeder, or any other point on a packagingline. For example, the laser may be placed for printing on the packagingmaterial upstream of or at a point before the packaging material is cutor separated into discrete packaging components by a cutter or otherconverting machine.

According to one embodiment, printing fixed or variable data byaffecting a color change of at least a portion of a coating with a lasermay be done in lieu of conventional ink jet or laser jet or incombination with such equipment.

According to another exemplary embodiment, data may be printed by alaser as described herein on a flat card (e.g., inserts, tear-outs,etc.) prior to, during, or after binding, stitching, blowing, oronsetting to a book, magazine, or other printed material. According tostill another exemplary embodiment, data may be applied on a cover for aprinted material before, during, or after a stitching or bindingprocess.

According to still another exemplary embodiment, a line may beconfigured to print both fixed and variable data. For example, theprinting line may print fixed information (e.g., company name, productdescription or picture, etc.) on a billing form as well as variable data(e.g., customer name, customer address, amount, etc.) using thetechniques of the present application. According to yet anotherexemplary embodiment, variable data may be printed using the apparatusdescribed herein that applies the print based on pre-printed codes onthe printing medium.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the laser treatmentapparatus may print variable data as bar codes. According to anotherexemplary embodiment, variable data may be printed as directmailing/custom web or sorting information.

It is noted that if the wrong address is printed during finishing or ifthere is an ink spot or error on the printing plate of the web offsetprinting, a laser can be used to change the color of the material andblot out or correct the error. For web printing errors, this could savehaving to recreate a plate if the plate was created incorrectly orpoorly.

A laser printer or other energy source may be located at least about 1inch from the substrate which is to be printed upon, at least about 3inches, at least about 6 inches, or at least about 12 inches.

In one embodiment, a coating may be applied using a print unit on acommercial press, such as a Goss-style M1000 press. The print unit mayapply a coating comprising the color-changeable material, such as AOM,to the substrate with the print unit. The coating may be applied to theentire substrate or to selected portions of the substrate (e.g., whichmay be less than half of a page of a printed publication, less than aquarter page, less than an eighth of a page, etc.). In one embodiment,the coating may be applied to at least a portion of a printedpublication, and even more specifically may be applied to an addressblock or some other portion of a printed publication. The coating may bea rosin based offset ink vehicle with about 40% loading of AOM.

Printing Press

Referring to FIG. 1, an example of a printing line 10 for printing amulti-color image upon a web 12 is illustrated. In the illustratedembodiment, four printing units 14, 16, 18, and 20 each print one colorof the image upon the web 12. Each print unit 14, 16, 18, 20 includes anupper blanket cylinder 22, an upper printing plate cylinder 24, a lowerblanket cylinder 26, and a lower printing plate cylinder 28. In theprinting line 10, colors 1, 2, 3, and 4 on units 14, 16, 18, and 20 aretypically black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y),respectively. However, it is noted that any colors of ink may be usedfor web-offset printing, and more or less than four print units may beused. The location of the printing units 14, 16, 18, and 20 relative toeach other (e.g., the color ordering) may vary depending on userpreference and/or the color scheme. In the illustrated embodiment, theprinting press is a web offset press, however in other exemplaryembodiments gravure, flexographic, digital presses, or other types ofprinting system may be used. Printing line 10 may also include a laserprinting apparatus 30 that is configured to affect a color change of atleast a portion of a coating printed on web 12. The color-changeablematerial may be on the web before it is used in the illustrated printedline 10 or a separate coating applicator, such as a print unit, may beused to apply the color-changeable material to the web. In otherembodiments, the color-changeable material may be incorporated withinthe coating used in the print units 14, 16, 18 and/or 20. Printing line10 may also include one or more driers to dry the ink or coating. Alaser printing apparatus can be placed before or after the driers toaffect a color change of either a solid or liquid coating. According toanother exemplary embodiment, a laser printing apparatus can be putbefore or after any of printing units 14, 16, 18, and/or 20.

Depending on the coating and laser parameters, the print may be incolor, have a metallic, matte, glossy, or textured finish, or be inmonochrome (i.e., black or white). In one particular embodiment, thevariable or fixed data may be printed by changing the color of onecoating (e.g., a dark coating such as a black-colored coating) to acontrasting color. In another embodiment, the coating may include ametallic ink or other metal-containing material. In still otherexemplary embodiments, the coating may include materials to provide amatte finish, a glossy finish, a texture, or a scent.

According to one exemplary embodiment, a variable data printing (VDP)operation may include a distribution location. According to anotherexemplary embodiment, a VDP operation may include a delivery address.According to one exemplary embodiment, a VDP operation may includepricing information. According to other exemplary embodiments, a VDPoperation may include advertisements (e.g., tailored to an individualreader or recipient or a group of readers or recipients), coupons,geographic location-based information, or any other variableinformation.

According to one exemplary embodiment, a VDP operation may be applieddirectly to the surface of a printed publication. According to anotherexemplary embodiment, a VDP operation may apply variable data to anadvertisement, for example the name on the back of an image of a jersey,or image of other clothing or clothing materials. According to otherexemplary embodiments, a VDP operation may apply variable data to anyitem that may include variable information. According to anotherexemplary embodiment, a VDP operation may be applied to a label that maybe affixed to a surface.

Versioning

According to another embodiment, the system may be configured to print aplurality of versions of a printed publication or packaging material.The versions may be for different geographic regions. For example, theversions may include a “metro” area version and a “suburb” area version,versions printed with different advertiser data to reflect localretailers, versions printed with different theater data to reflect localmovies playing, etc. Alternatively, versions may represent any variableparameter that can be organized by variable data, such as, geographic,demographic, postal, personal, and/or book data.

According to one exemplary embodiment, versions can represent differentbook titles, magazine titles or magazine publishers, for example, in thecase where the printing system is disposed on a printing line and/orother finishing line configured to produce two or more different titlesat the same time.

The color changing techniques described herein may be used to printfixed data onto a web (or sheet) or variable data with only intermittentvariation. For example, the laser may treat the printed publicationsbased on a first set of version data to substantially complete a firstprint run and then switch to treating the printed publications based ona second set of version data to substantially complete a second printrun. The techniques described herein can permit each print run tocommence without having to stop the press run. In another example, theversion data may be varied within a print run but not with each piece ofprinted material. This could be particularly useful when printingdifferent versions of publications, which have runs of repeatablevariable data together with fixed data. Using the laser treatmenttechniques described herein, the differences between versions can beprinted by affecting a color change of at least a portion of the coatingwith a laser. This will reduce and may potentially eliminate the needfor manufacturing different plates or engraving different cylinders thatwill be used to print each version of a publication, the make-ready timeto change over the plates during a production run, and the labor, paperand energy waste associated with such make-ready and plate production.In such embodiments, the laser treatment apparatus can be located oneither the printing line or a finishing line.

Saddle Stitching Line

Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary finishing line 32 is generallyconfigured to assemble signatures, books, blown cards, pamphlets,inserts, onserts, etc. into a finished printed material or publicationand bind them with saddle stitching. Finishing line 32 may include atleast one pocket 34, a flat card feeder 36, a printer feeder pocket 38,a printer feeder 40, at least one laser printing apparatus (e.g., forprinting variable and/or fixed data) 42, at least one blow-in feeder 44,a stitcher section 46, a trimmer 48, a stacker 50, a wrapper 52, and amailing table 54. Any of the above listed elements can be removed fromfinishing line 32 without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Finishing line 32 is preferably a post printing line or finishing linemodified to include at least one laser printing apparatus 42 (asdescribed above). Line 32 can be utilized to bind, fold, batch, collate,gather, mail and/or distribute product. The elements of line 32 may berearranged in any of a variety of configurations.

Pockets 34 can be associated with fixed and/or variable data printingvia a color changeable coating or can receive pre-printed sheets orpages that may be referred to as signatures or forms. Each signature isfolded over a moving wire, chain, or bar (i.e., a saddle) and thus theprinted material travels from pocket to pocket in finishing line 32 asit is assembled. At each pocket 34, a page can be combined with othersheets (i.e., signatures) to form a pamphlet or book. The last pocket istypically a cover pocket 35 where the cover is placed over the othersignatures of the printed material. Alternatively, line 32 can beconfigured to provide a single page product or a folder type product.

A flat card feeder 36 may insert a flat card into a pocket 34 forinclusion with the print medium. Flat card feeder 36 may include printedmaterials with fixed and/or variable data, for example printed bychanging the color of a coating.

Printer feeder pocket 38 is generally configured to feed a signature toa pocket 34 via pocket feeder 40 (e.g., a conveyor). A laser printingapparatus 42 (as described above) may be coupled to pocket feeder 40 tochange the color of a coating (e.g., ink, varnish, etc.) off of thesignature substrate (e.g., paper) to print fixed and/or variable data(e.g., a graphical image, text, etc.) either on the top or outside faceof the signature or on the under or interior side of the saddledsignature.

It is noted that although FIG. 2 may illustrate laser printing apparatus42 to be in specific positions, in other exemplary embodiments the laserprinting apparatus 42 may be at any position in a printing or finishingline 32 where variable or fixed data may be applied to a printedmaterial. For example, laser printing apparatus 42 may be placed beforetrimmer 48 in the finishing area (e.g., an area to staple, bind, cover,label, etc.) according to one exemplary embodiment. In other exemplaryembodiments, laser printing apparatus 42 may be mounted on trimmer 48,in printer feeder pocket 38, at a blow in feeder 44, on a trimmedmedium, at a flat card feeder 36, near a stacker 50, near a wrapper 52,etc. In another exemplary embodiment, laser printing apparatus 42 may beremote from a printing or finishing line 32. In still another exemplaryembodiment, laser printing apparatus 42 may be portable and placedanywhere in a printing or finishing line 32 or external to a printing orfinishing line 32. Laser printing apparatus 42 may be placed within abinder to print on the inside of a signature as it passes through line32.

Blown card feeder 44 and a laser printing apparatus 42 may be configuredto print data (e.g., an advertisement) on a card that is forcefullyblown (i.e., by air or another gas) into a stack of signatures. Laserprinting apparatus 42 may be configured to print variable data (e.g.,customized advertisements, address information, etc.) to the card. Oncevariable data has been printed, the card may be blown into the printedmaterial. It is noted that while blown card feeder 44 and a laserprinting apparatus 42 are illustrated as being before stitcher section46 in finishing line 32, in other embodiments, blown card feeder 44 andlaser printing apparatus 42 may be placed at other points in finishingline 32, for example after stitcher 46 or in a finishing line aftertrimmer 48, or may be omitted.

Stitcher section 46 is typically configured to stitch the assembled andcollated printed materials received at each pocket 34 and cover pocket35. According to various exemplary embodiments, stitcher section 46 mayjoin the printed medium using a fastener (e.g., stitches, wire staples,etc.) or any other suitable technique.

Trimmer 48 is configured to trim to book to its desired trim size (e.g.,8½″×11″) and remove any excess material as received from stitcher 46.Trimmer 48 may include one or more cutting apparatuses or be of anyother design suitable for removal of excess material from the printedmaterial.

Stacker 28 is configured to stack or gather printed materials fromtrimmer 48 in preparation for bundling or wrapping. Wrapper 52 thenwraps or bundles the stacked printed materials for mailing or delivery.It is noted that a strapper may be present after stacker 50 and/or afterwrapper 52 to strap stacks of printed material together, for examplewith a nylon strap or cord.

Binding Line

Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary finishing line 56 is generallyconfigured to assemble signatures, books, pamphlets, inserts, onserts,etc. into a finished printed material or publication and bind them witha “perfect binding” technique that binds the signatures together withadhesive. Finishing line 56 of FIG. 3 is similar to finishing line 32 ofFIG. 2 except for the manner of travel down the line and that line 56uses a binder 58 instead of stitcher section 46 to attach the pages andcover together. The elements of line 56 may be rearranged in any of avariety of configurations.

The signatures are fed into pockets 34 by printer feeder pocket 38 viaprinter feeder 40 as before, however each signature is stacked on top ofone another substantially flat on a conveyer line, chain, or gathererinstead of being saddled. The last pocket 34 does not receive the coveras it does in line 32. A set of covers 60 are separately fed into binder58 for binding to the signatures. The conveyor leading to binder 58rotates and thus rotates the signatures into a generally vertical axiswhere they are clamped by binder 58. The clamped signatures are rotatedaround a carousel and the end to be bound is dipped in an adhesive suchas glue. At this point, the cover is pressed against the adhesivecovered end to bind the printed material, which then travels along anextended drying line to allow the adhesive to dry. The printed materialis then sent to trimmer 48 and the process continues as in finishingline 32.

It is noted that according to various exemplary embodiments, laserprinting apparatus 42 may be present in one or more of the samelocations in finishing line 56 as in finishing line 32 including beforeor after binder 58 rather than before or after stitcher section 46.Additionally, a laser printing apparatus 42 may be located on theconveyor that leads covers 60 to binder 58 for printing of fixed and/orvariable data into the outside of the cover, for example with a booktitle or a personalized message.

Polywrap Line

Referring to FIG. 14, an exemplary finishing line is generallyconfigured to assemble signatures, books, pamphlets, inserts, onserts,etc. into a finished printed material or publication and wrap, stack andstrap them similar to the lines of FIGS. 2 and 3. The finishing line issimilar to the finishing lines of FIGS. 2 and 3 except that the stitcheror binder are omitted and the wrapper wraps the unbound or unstitchedfinished printed material. The wrapper is configured to wrap thesignatures with a poly wrap (e.g., plastic) and/or a paper wrapping. Theelements of the finishing line may be rearranged in any of a variety ofconfigurations not illustrated in the figure. For example, the laserprinters illustrated in the figure may exist in other or additionallocations on the line, for example between each pocket, as describedabove to change the color of a portion of a coating.

Mailing Line

Referring to FIG. 4, a mailing or co-mailing line 62 that may receivethe finished printed materials from the finishing lines of FIG. 2 or 3is illustrated. Mailing line 62 is configured to combine the finishedprinted materials (e.g., pre-personalized books with variable data,books with only fixed data, etc.) described above and illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3, with other finished materials, for example to generatebundles of materials with like zip codes, carrier routes, recipient ordestination addresses, or other postal information. Mailing line 62includes one or more pockets 64. Some of the pockets 64 may be coupledto stacks or bundles of similar finished materials (e.g., all of onebook title) in a pocket feeder 66. The finished materials may be bundledin postal code order. The elements of line 62 may be rearranged in anyof a variety of configurations.

The mailing lists associated with the different publications in pocketfeeders 66 may be merged to create a master mailing list that includesthe desired postal code mailing sequence of the finished materials. Themaster mailing list may be maintained in a controller 68. Pocket feeders66 are selectively actuated by controller 68 based on the master mailinglist. Pocket feeders 66 selectively feed books onto a conveyor 70 in thedesired postal code order.

A laser printing apparatus 72 downstream of pockets 64 also operatesunder the control of controller. Laser printing apparatus 72 may printfixed or variable data (e.g., addresses, postal code, destination,another identifier, a personalized message, an advertisement, etc.) onthe finished materials. The finished materials are then directed to astacker 74 and a wrapper 76 that bundle the materials together formailing according to the postal codes. It is noted that a strapper maybe present after stacker 74 and/or after wrapper 76 to strap stacks ofprinted material together, for example with a nylon strap or cord.

A laser printing apparatus 72 may print fixed and/or variable data tothe stacked materials after stacker 74, for example to mark each book onthe stack with the destination. Laser printing apparatus 72 may printfixed and/or variable data to the wrapped materials after wrapper 76,for example to mark each wrapped bundle of books with a single postalcode or destination.

Using the methods and designs disclosed herein, variable data can beprinted to a medium in lines 32, 56, or 62 before and during an offlineor online finishing process. In one example, fixed data can be printedto a medium, for example an article in a magazine or product informationon a blown card. Variable data can then be printed on the medium, forexample by changing the color of a coating. The variable data mayinclude addresses, pictures, coupons, any other type of variable data,or any combination thereof. Variable data may be printed on the printmedium during the offline or online finishing process.

Packaging Line

Referring to FIG. 16, a packaging line is illustrated that may beconfigured to package a product. The packaging line is configured topackage or place packaging on or around a product, for example todisplay, ship, or preserve the product. The packaging line may includeone or more pockets. Some of the pockets may be coupled to stacks orbundles of discrete packaging units (e.g., primary, secondary, and/ortertiary packaging units) in a packaging pocket feeder. One or more ofthe pockets may be coupled to a product pocket feeder for inserting aproduct into a packaging unit. Alternatively, the product feeder mayinsert a product into a pocket of a conveyor with the packaging unitsplaced on or around the product. The elements of the packaging line maybe rearranged in any of a variety of configurations.

The packaging and products associated with the pocket feeders may becompiled in a list that includes the desired sequence of the packagedproducts. The list may be maintained in a controller (e.g., controlcircuit 503). The pocket feeders may be selectively actuated by thecontroller based on the list. The pocket feeders selectively feedpackaging units and products onto the conveyor in the desired order. Thepocket feeders may also fasten the packaging units to the product orinsert the product into the packaging unit.

A laser printing apparatus may be mounted over any one of the pockets orpockets feeders and also operates under the control of controller (e.g.,control circuit 503). The laser may print fixed or variable data on thepackaging units and/or products. Before, after, and/or during couplingof the packaging units to the product or to other packaging units.Variable data can be printed on the medium, for example by changing thecolor of a coating. The power to the energy source or laser may bereduced or removed between printing on the discrete packaging units.

The variable data may also be printed on the packaging materials usingthe methods and techniques disclose herein prior to being used toenclose a product. The pre-printed packaging material comprising thevariable data may include a machine readable indicia or other code thatcan be matched to the product to be inserted.

Using the methods and designs disclosed herein, variable data can beprinted to paper or other substrate packaging in lines 32, 56, or 62before and during an offline or online process. Variable data can thenbe printed on the medium, for example by changing the color of acoating. The variable data may include product information, shippinginformation, pictures, coupons, any other type of variable data,advertising, or any combination thereof.

Variable Data Signature/Book Locations

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, printed materials include variable dataaccording to multiple exemplary embodiments. Referring specifically toFIG. 5, an example printed material 132 includes variable data 134 onthe cover. As described above, according to various exemplaryembodiments, variable data 134 may include an address, pricinginformation, an advertisement, etc. Additionally, printed material 132may include variable data 135 on the underside of a page or signature ofthe printed material, for example if printed on a saddle-stitchingfinishing line. Referring specifically to FIG. 4, a printed material 136includes variable data 138 on the spine, for example a data signifying apoint of sale for a magazine. Referring specifically to FIG. 5, aprinted material 139 includes variable data 140 on the edges of thepages of the printed medium, for example signifying an appropriatecover. Note that variable data 134, 138, and 140 may be of differentsizes and shapes to accommodate the printed data, according to otherexemplary embodiments.

Laser Configurations

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, laser printing apparatus 320 has a lasermatrix or array configuration 344 to print variable data on a printedmedium as the medium passes beneath or near the laser matrix. Thisconfiguration may allow for more variable data to be printed at a fasterspeed, for example using a rasterized, dot-matrix, or bitmap-styleprinting method. Alternatively, configuration 344 can be made of laserdiodes. It is noted that while FIG. 6 shows that matrix 344 includessixteen lasers, more or fewer than sixteen lasers may be used accordingto other exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 10, a laser printing apparatus 420 includes a matrixlaser configuration 444 with more than one row of lasers. Laser printingapparatus 420 may operate similar to laser printing apparatus 320 with agreater printing capacity. According to various exemplary embodiments,the rows of matrix 444 may be lined up with an adjacent row or each rowmay be staggered. In one embodiment, matrix 444 is made up of lasers ona single head.

Referring to FIG. 11, a laser printing apparatus 620 includes multiplematrix laser configurations 344, 444, and 644. Multiple matrixconfigurations (with one or more columns and rows of lasers) may be usedtogether to print at a greater printing capacity that a single matrixconfiguration. According to various exemplary embodiments, each matrixconfiguration 344, 444, and 644 may be controlled independently from oneanother. According to various exemplary embodiments, each matrixconfiguration 344, 444, and 644 may be controlled by a single controlcircuit.

While FIGS. 8-10 illustrate diode array or matrix laser units arrangedsubstantially linear across the substrate and perpendicular to thedirection of travel, according to other exemplary embodiments, a laserarray may be arranged substantially non-perpendicular to a direction oftravel of the substrate. For example, the diode array unit may be moreor less than 10 degrees from perpendicular to the substrate direction oftravel, more or less than 45 degrees, between about 10 and 80 degrees,or between about 25 and 65 degrees. According to various exemplaryembodiments, the laser array unit may be automatically or manually movedbetween different angles prior to or during laser printing.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the matrix laser units mayinclude a guard that is configured to reduce the amount of light fromthe laser that travels away from the printing system. According toanother exemplary embodiment, the matrix laser units may include a guardthat is configured to prevent light from the laser from traveling awayfrom the printing system. According to other exemplary embodiments, thematrix laser units may omit any such guard.

Referring to FIG. 12, an exemplary system 500 is configured to addvariable data to a printed material or publication. System 500 mayinclude laser printing apparatus 502, a data source 504, an input/output(I/O) stream 506, and a printed material 508.

Laser printing apparatus 502 is configured to receive print data fromdata source 504 for output onto printed material 508 via lasertreatment. Printer 502 includes a control circuit 503 and a one or morelasers 516. Control circuit 503 includes a data source 510, a processingcircuit 512, and an interface 514. According to various exemplaryembodiments, data source 510 may be a memory, local cache, a local harddisk drive, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a random access data source (e.g.,a RAM), a read-only data source (e.g., a ROM), an Ethernet port, acommunication port, or any other volatile or non-volatile data sourcecapable of locally storing fixed, variable, and/or version data andtransferring that data to and from processing circuit 512.

Processing circuit 512 is configured to process a fixed, variable, orversion data input stream from data source 504 and/or data source 510and output commands to laser 516 that will cause the laser to treat theprint data on printed material 508. Processing circuit 512 may alsoreceive commands from a user via interface 514 to aid in the processingof the data input stream. Alternatively, processing circuit 512 mayprompt a user via interface 514 for instructions. According to variousexemplary embodiments, processing circuit 512 may be any processingcircuit of past, present, or future design that is capable of processingprint data into commands usable by a laser for treatment of a coating.Processing circuit 512 may comprise analog and/or digital components,such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), orother electronic, mechanical, or electro-mechanical components, as wellas any computer-readable code or software operable therewith or thereon,to perform the functions described herein and other known functions.

According to one exemplary embodiment, processing circuit 512 may beconfigured to receive more or less than 1 terabyte of data per second,more or less than about 0.5 terabytes of data per second, more or lessthan about 100 Gigabytes of data per second, or more or less than aboutfour Gigabytes of data per second. According to another exemplaryembodiment, processing circuit 512 may be configured to receive more orless than twenty Gigabytes of data per second. According to anotherexemplary embodiment, processing circuit 512 may be configured toreceive between about one and fifty Gigabytes of data per second.According to still another exemplary embodiment, processing circuit 512may be configured to receive between about four and twenty Gigabytes persecond. According to other exemplary embodiments, processing circuit 512may be configured to receive less than one Gigabyte of data per second.

Interface 514 is configured to provide a menu structure, algorithm, orother I/O interface that I/O stream 506 (e.g., a user, an externalcomputer, etc.) may interact with to provide instructions or data toprocessing circuit 512 from the I/O stream 506 or to provideinstructions or data to the I/O stream related to information about theprocessing circuit 512 or laser 516. Interface 514 may be any interfacecapable of communicating print data information between a processingcircuit and an external I/O stream.

Laser 516 is configured to create print 508 by outputting a laser beam.As described above, laser 516 may be one or more of a CO2 laser, a UVlaser, a YAG laser, a near-infrared laser, an infrared laser, and bepackaged as a fiber laser, a laser diode, a diode array, or any otherlaser capable of affecting a color change of a coating on a substrate.Alternatively, any of the embodiments disclosed herein using a laser mayin alternative embodiments use another energy source or electromagneticradiation source.

Data source 504 is configured to store variable, fixed, and or versiondata and to send the print data in a data input stream to laser printingapparatus 502. The variable data may be based on demographic,geographic, version, or other variable data characteristics describedherein. The data may comprise data for each of a plurality of differentpages of a printed publication, wherein the data may be the same,different or partially the same among the different pages, and whereinthe data may comprise fixed, variable and/or some fixed and somevariable data for printing on each different page. According to variousexemplary embodiments, data source 504 may be a memory, a hard diskdrive, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a remote server, a random access datasource (e.g., a RAM), a read-only data source (e.g., a ROM), cache,flash, Ethernet port, communication port, or any other volatile ornon-volatile data source capable of storing print data. Data source 504is configured to communicate with printer 502 using any of thecommunication techniques described hereinabove.

According to a number of exemplary embodiments, printed material 508 maybe any substrate (e.g., paper) upon which one or more coatings of print,ink, varnish, gloss, matte finish, metallic finish, and/or other coatingexist.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the system may be a USB ScannerController with a Flash Extension available from SCAPS GmbH ofDeisenhofen, Germany, the Videojet Supply Unit from VideojetTechnologies of Wood Dale, Ill., or a custom print data processing orinterface system.

Referring to FIG. 17, an exemplary system 1700 is configured to addvariable data to packaging. System 1700 may be generally similar tosystem 500 and include a laser printing apparatus 502, a data source504, an input/output (I/O) stream 506, and packaging 1702. The laserprinting apparatus and 502, data source 504, and I/O stream 506 may besubstantially the same as in system 500, but be configured to affect acolor change on packaging 1702 instead of or in addition to on a printedmaterial or publication. Further, the power to the energy source orlaser printing apparatus 502 may be controlled to be reduced or removedbetween printing of discrete packaging units.

Process Flow

Referring to FIG. 13, a method 700 is configured to be executed onsystem 500 to perform a printing operation, for example on a printedmaterial or publication. At a step 702, system 500 retrieves data fromdata source 504 or 510 that may be used to print information, includingfor example text characters or a graphical image. The data may be fixeddata. At a step 704, system 500 retrieves data from data source 504 or510 that can be used by system 500 to print the information, for exampleinformation that is related to content, geographic data, postal data, apersonalization, or other variable data. It is noted that according toone exemplary embodiment, the first and second data may be retrievedsimultaneously, either from different data sources (e.g., memories) 504or 510 or the same data source. According to another exemplaryembodiment, the first and second data may be retrieved in series, oneafter the other, either from different memories 504 or 510 or from thesame data source. In yet another embodiment, steps 702 and 704 may becombined as a single step. At a step 706, laser 516 changes the color ofa first portion of at least one coating on a substrate (e.g., a sheet ofpaper, a continuous web of paper, etc.) using the data. At a step 708,laser 516 changes the color of a second portion of at least a portion ofthe coating. The second portion may be the same or different than thefirst portion of the coating. According to various exemplaryembodiments, any of the color changing technique described above may beused according to method 700.

Referring to FIGS. 18-20, system 1700 and a packaging line may beconfigured to retrieve data from a data source and control the energysource, which may comprise sending the or providing the data to theenergy source, to change a color-changeable material on a packaging unitaccording to various exemplary embodiments. System 1700 and thepackaging line may retrieve fixed and/or variable data from the datasource, apply packaging to a product, change the color of a firstportion of the color changeable material using fixed data, and changethe color of a second portion of the color-changeable material usingvariable data. It is noted that the packaging may be applied at anypoint before, after or during printing of the fixed and/or variable dataaccording to various exemplary embodiments. In other exemplaryembodiments, the color-changeable material may be changed for theprinting of only fixed or only variable data. In still other exemplaryembodiments, the order of the printing of fixed and variable data may bedifferent.

Referring to FIGS. 21-23, system 1700 and a packaging line may beconfigured to convey product packaging along a conveyor, print on acolor-changeable material using an energy source, and apply packaging toa product according to various exemplary embodiments. System 1700 andthe packaging line may apply a color-changeable material to thepackaging, convey the packaging along the conveyor, print with thecolor-changeable material using the energy source, and apply thepackaging to the product. It is noted that the packaging may be appliedat any point before after or during printing of the fixed and/orvariable data according to various exemplary embodiments. In otherexemplary embodiments, the color-changeable material may be appliedoffline during or after a package manufacturing process. It is notedthat the product and/or packaging may be conveyed on the conveyorsubstantially continuously during printing and/or packaging.

Printing with Color-Changeable Material

According to one exemplary embodiment, a web offset, gravure, or otherprinting press may be replaced, in whole or in part, by a printingsystem using one or more color-changeable materials.

An energy source (e.g., a light source such as a laser, or other energysource, which may be a laser diode array, other matrix laser head, etc.)is provided which is capable of providing energy to areas spanningsubstantially an entire sheet of a substrate (e.g., packaging, a sheet,a continuous web, etc. which may be paper, other materials, etc.) orsubstantially an entire printing area of the substrate (e.g., which maybe less than about 95% of a width of the substrate, less than about 80%,less than about 50%, less than about 25%). In exemplary embodiments, thewidth of the printing areas may be about 1 inch, about 2 inches, about 4inches, about 8 inches, or increments thereof. The energy source maycomprise a plurality of laser diodes (e.g., a laser diode array), one ormore laser heads (e.g., at least two, at least four, at least ten, atleast 25, etc.), etc. The energy source may be mounted to a singlehousing or to a plurality of separate housings (e.g., at least twohousings, at least four housings, etc., coupled together by one or moreof a communication network, a power source, a cooling unit, etc.)extending from a first edge of the substrate or printing area of thesubstrate to a second edge of the substrate or printing area of thesubstrate. The housings may be movable or in a fixed, stationary, ornon-moving configuration. In one exemplary embodiment, a single housingcomprises a plurality of laser diodes spanning an entire predeterminedprinting area on a substrate.

The energy source, under control of a processing circuit, may beconfigured to create print with a color-changeable material coated uponor integrated within the substrate. The print may result in a resolutionof at least about 600 dpi, at least about 720 dpi, or between about 600and 720 dpi at about 1000 feet/min or more. Other embodiments mayinclude a resolution of between about 75 dpi and 3000 dpi at speeds ofbetween about 0 and 4000 ft/min. In one embodiment, one laser diode maybe used per pixel to be printed across the width of the substrate. Inother embodiments, a plurality of rows of laser diodes or a plurality ofdiode array units (e.g., separate housings, each having a plurality ofrows of laser diodes) may be used. In still other embodiments, aplurality of diode array units may be positioned over the substrate atany of a variety of angles non-perpendicular to the direction of travelof the substrate, as described hereinabove.

According to some exemplary embodiments, a system can be configured toprint each pixel differently on different sheets or portions of acontinuous web of substrate or on discrete packaging units. In aconventional web press, a rotating blanket repeatedly transfers the sameimage to a web of paper to create a set of pages comprising a signature,the signatures being bound on a finishing line to create a book. Use ofan energy source and color-changeable material allows a configuration inwhich all pages of a printed publication can be printed in series on asubstrate (and optionally even personalized on one or more pages withvariable data), so that an entire book or a substantial portion of abook can be printed in page order. This may allow for subsequent cuttingand folding in-line as opposed to the current practice of printingsignatures that are later assembled and bound off-line. In someembodiments, such a printing configuration may reduce the cost,complexity, time lost, defects, and/or environmental impact associatedwith manufacturing plates, using blankets, consuming inks, drying theweb, stacking signatures into logs, storing logs, transporting logs to afinishing line, etc. Defects such as hickeys, cracks, and other defectscan be eliminated by using an energy source and color-changeablematerial in one or more of the embodiments described herein.

As described above, the color-changeable material or materials may beapplied during paper or packaging manufacturing or at a printing orpackaging entity.

In one embodiment, a printing or packaging system comprises an energysource and at least one printing unit. Each of the at least one printingunits may be configured to print with a web offset, gravure, or otheroffset or inkjet printing process, or with an energy source, such as alaser diode array. For example, offset print units may be configured toprint predetermined colors on press (e.g., black, cyan, magenta, etc.)while laser print units may be configured to print other colors to thealready-printed substrate to arrive at a printed publication having alarge range of colors. Further, any number of color-changeable materialapplicators may be provided, including zero, before, in between, orafter the printing units, wherein at least one printing unit may be acolor-changeable material applicator. Each printing unit may beconfigured to print one color, an array of colors, or shades of onecolor. The printing units may be configured to give a viewer animpression of color and tones, for example by printing halftone dots orother markings having different tones, gray-scales, dot size, density,dot gain, trapping, changing the size of dots to be printed, changingthe shade of the colors marked (e.g., from very light blue to very darkblue), etc. In the case where the printing unit is a laser printingunit, different fluence levels, frequencies, intensities, or otherparameters may be used to create different colors from thecolor-changeable material. The printing units may be configured to printa combination of colors which can, in combination, represent a largerange of acceptable colors, such as is done with CMYK, RGB, RBY, RBYG,or other color combinations. If a wet coating is applied in-line, adrier or drying step may be disposed between a color-changeable coatingapplication step and a laser printing step, or the coating may be markedby a laser without complete drying.

Depending on coating chemistry and laser diodes, multiple arrays may beutilized (e.g., UV array followed by IR followed by UV) to achievemulticolor or full color printing. In addition, a UV blocker or UVfiltering material could be applied to increase the life of the printedpublication. A UV blocker can be applied to the substrate before orafter marking occurs. The UV blocker may be configured to reduce orsubstantially prevent further color-change of the portion of the coatingthat was not originally changed.

According to some embodiments, printing with an energy source with acolor-changeable material may be done before, after, or in between otherknown printing operations (e.g., web offset printing, gravure printing,ink jet printing, etc.), wherein the energy source printing may be doneon the same portion (e.g., with different colors or different types ofdata) or a different portion of a page or image being printed.

In an alternative embodiment, a laser printing unit may be disposed on apackaging line, on a finishing line, or on a printing line after thedifferent-colored print unit to print a cover of a printed publication,or a portion thereof (e.g., an address block on a cover).

In another alternative embodiment, a laser printing unit may be disposedon a finishing or packaging line to print fixed or variable data atbetween about 300 and about 600 dpi at about 350-about 500 ft/min.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of an exemplary process flow for printingwith a laser printing apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment.At block 800, an image file is prepared for printing. At block 802, theimage data is separated into a plurality of colors to be printed bydifferent print units or print operations. At block 804, the order ofpages to be printed on a substrate is determined. Imposition is theprocess of arranging pages correctly prior to printing so that they foldin the correct order. At block 806, the image data for is rasterized tocreate a database of data from which the energy source will determinewhere on the color-changeable material of the substrate to print, withwhich intensity and other laser settings, etc. At block 810, the datafrom the database is transmitted to one or a plurality of energy sourceinterfaces, such as diode array interfaces 812, 814. Interfaces 812, 814are configured to drive energy sources, such as diode arrays 816, 818 toprint upon the color-changeable material based on the data from thedatabase. Verification blocks 820, 824 represent steps to check colorcorrectness, defect detection, registration error, and otherverification processes, which may provide feedback to the energy sourceswhich may adjust the energy being provided. One or more of the blocks inFIG. 15 may be implemented by a suitable processing circuit, which maycomprises analog and/or digital components, such as one or moremicroprocessors, microcontrollers, embedded processors,application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays(or other programmable logic), memory, etc., configured withcomputer-readable instructions, code, or software to perform one or moreof the functions described in any of the embodiments herein.

Additional Embodiments

According to one exemplary embodiment, provided is a system for printingdata on a flexible substrate comprising a color-changeable material. Thesystem comprises a data source, a processing circuit, and an energysource. The data source may be configured to provide data to be printedon the flexible substrate. The processing circuit may be configured toretrieve the data from the data source and to control the energy sourceto change a color of the color-changeable material of the flexiblesubstrate based on the retrieved data to provide at least a portion of aprinted publication.

According to another exemplary embodiment, provided is a system forprinting on a substrate having a coating to provide a printedpublication. The system comprises a data source, a processing circuit,and an energy source. The energy source may comprise a laser, electronbeam, x-ray source, or other energy source. The data source may beconfigured to provide data for a plurality of different pages of aprinted publication to be printed on the substrate. The processingcircuit may be configured to retrieve the data from the data source andto control the laser or energy source to change the color of the coatingon the substrate based on the retrieved data to provide at least aportion of each of a plurality of different pages of the printedpublication.

According to another exemplary embodiment, provided is a method ofprinting that comprises retrieving data from a data source and changinga color of a portion of at least one color-changeable materialassociated with a flexible substrate using the data to create at least aportion of a printed publication.

According to another exemplary embodiment, provided is a system forprinting a plurality of versions of a printed publication. The systemcomprises a data source, a processing circuit and a laser or otherenergy source. The data source may be configured to provide version datafor a plurality of versions of the printed publication. The processingcircuit may be configured to retrieve the version data from the datasource and to control the laser to change a color of a coating on theprinted publications based on the version data.

According to another exemplary embodiment, disclosed is a method ofproviding a continuous web of paper. The method comprises providing apaper composition, applying a color-changeable material to the papercomposition, and rolling the paper composition into a continuous web ona roller.

According to another exemplary embodiment, disclosed is a printedpublication that is printed by providing a flexible substrate comprisinga color-changeable material, retrieving data to be printed on theflexible substrate, and providing energy to the color-changeablematerial based on the retrieved data to change a color of the materialon the flexible substrate.

According to another exemplary embodiment, provided is a method ofprinting data on a flexible substrate comprising a color-changeablematerial. The method comprises retrieving data to be printed on theflexible substrate and controlling an energy source to change a color ofthe color-changeable material on the flexible substrate based on theretrieved data to provide at least a portion of a printed publication.

One embodiment of the disclosure relates to a system for printing dataon packaging as the packaging moves along a conveyor. The packagingcomprises a color-changeable material. The system comprises a datasource that may be configured to provide data to be printed on thepackaging, a processing circuit, and an energy source. The processingcircuit may be configured to retrieve the data from the data source andto control the energy source to print on the packaging based on theretrieved data by changing a color of the color-changeable material asthe packaging moves along the conveyor.

Another embodiment of the disclosure relates to a method of printingdata on packaging as the packaging moves along a conveyor. The packagingcomprises a color-changeable material. The method comprises retrievingdata from a data source and controlling an energy source to print on thepackaging based on the retrieved data by changing a color of thecolor-changeable material as the packaging moves along the conveyor.

Another embodiment of the disclosure relates to a method of packaging aproduct. The method comprises conveying the product packaging along aconveyor. The product packaging comprises a color-changeable material.The method also comprises printing on the color-changeable materialusing an energy source and applying the packaging to a product to bepackaged.

According to one exemplary embodiment, product packaging is printed asthe packaging moves along a conveyor.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a method of providing acontinuous web of paper comprises providing a paper composition,applying a color-changeable material to the paper composition, androlling the paper composition into a continuous web. The web of papermay alternatively be any flexible substrate. The web of paper maycomprise a packaging material, or a paper suitable for printing aprinted publication, such as a magazine or newspaper.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a method of packaging aproduct comprises conveying a product packaging along a conveyor,wherein the product packaging comprises a color-changeable material, andchanging the color of at least a portion of the color-changeablematerial using an energy source. The product packaging may the beapplied to a product, such as by filling the product packaging with theproduct (e.g., in the case of a liquid, such as a soft drink or cleaningsolution), by wrapping the product in the product packaging, by wrappinga primary product packaging with a secondary or tertiary productpackaging bearing the printed color-changeable material, etc.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a printed publication orproduct packaging may be made, provided, or manufactured by providing asubstrate comprising a color-changeable material, retrieving data to beprinted on the substrate, and providing energy to the color-changeablematerial based on the retrieved data to change a color of the materialon the substrate.

According to another exemplary embodiment, an assemblage of printedpublications comprise a first printed publication having acolor-changeable coating printed with a first variable data and a secondprinted publication having a color-changeable coating printed with asecond variable data. The first and second variable data are different.Third, fourth, etc. printed publications may be printed with the firstvariable data or second variable data, or with third, fourth, etc.variable data from a data source. The variable data may comprise versiondata. The assemblage of printed publications may be sequentially printedon a printing line, may be assembled on a finishing line (e.g., byassembling books of signatures to form a complete printed publication),and may be bundled by zip code, address, or other characteristic forshipping.

According to another exemplary embodiment, any of the systems, methods,or products described herein may print on the packaging when thepackaging is substantially non-flat; may print on the packaging beforethe packaging is applied to a product to be packaged by the packaging;may comprise a packaging application unit configured to apply thepackaging to a product; may use variable data which changes fordifferent discrete packaging units in a print run; may use a laser diodearray; may use a laser diode array in which each laser diode in thelaser diode array is configured to consume at least 200 milliWatts ofpower; may use a laser diode array in which each laser diode in thelaser diode array is configured to consume at least 1 Watt of power; mayuse a color-changeable material comprising a diacetylene and an energysource comprises an ultraviolet or near infrared energy source; maycomprise a processing circuit configured to control the energy source tochange the color of the packaging as it travels at least about 1 footper second past the energy source; may comprise a processing circuitconfigured to control the energy source to change the color of thepackaging at a rate of between 5 and 200 characters per packaging unit;may use a color-changeable material comprising at least one of a metal,molybdenum, titanium, zinc, a polydiacetylene, a diacetylene,ammoniumoctamolybdate (AOM) or other molybdenum compound, a vanadiumcompound, a tungsten compound and a compound containing a transitionmetal; may use a processing circuit configured to control the energysource to create a plurality of colors from the material; may use aprocessing circuit configured to control the amount of energy providedto the material to create the plurality of colors from the material;and/or may use a processing circuit configured to control the energysource to create at least four different colors from the material.

One or more of the embodiments described herein may use acolor-changeable material comprising at least two color-changeablematerials configured to change to different colors when energized by theenergy source; may use a laser diode array unit which spanssubstantially the entire printable area of the packaging; may furthercomprise a coating applicator configured to apply the color-changeablecoating to the packaging; may comprise a processing circuit configuredto control the energy source to mark the color-changeable material witha resolution of between about 600 dpi and about 720 dpi; may conveypackaging in a plurality of discrete packaging units, wherein power isreduced or removed from the energy source between printing on theplurality of discrete packaging units; may print on packaging configuredto be in contact with the product to be packaged; may print on packagingconfigured to be in contact with other packaging to be in contact withthe product to be packaged; may print on packaging configured to be incontact with second packaging configured to be in contact with thirdpackaging configured to be in contact with the product to be packaged;may print on packaging that substantially covers the product to bepackaged; and/or may print based on fixed data for substantially alldiscrete packaging units to be printed in a print run.

One or more of the embodiments described herein may product a printedpublication comprising a signature, a book, a blown card, a pamphlet, aninsert or an onsert; may produce a printed publication with a graphicalimage wherein the processing circuit is configured to control the energysource to change the color of the graphical image based on the data,wherein the data comprises variable data; may produce a graphical imagewhich is an advertisement within a magazine; may use an energy sourcewhich comprises a CO2 laser, a deflected laser, a laser diode array, anear infrared diode laser, and/or an ultraviolet light laser; may use aprocessing circuit configured to control the energy source to change thecolor of the flexible substrate as it travels at least about 233 feetper minute past the energy source; may use a processing circuitconfigured to control the energy source to change the color of theprinted publication at a rate of between 5 and 200 characters perprinted publication; may use an energy source disposed at a finishingline configured to bind or stitch signatures into books; may use anenergy source disposed at a printing line configured to print graphicalimages on paper to form the printed publication; may use an energysource disposed at a co-mailing line configured to collate differentprinted publications for mailing; may use an energy source configured tochange the color of the color-changeable material by changing anoxidization state of the material; may use an energy source configuredto change the color of the color-changeable material by changing atleast one of a phase of the material and an effective conjugation lengthof the material; may use an energy source configured to change the colorof the color-changeable material by polymerizing the material; may usean energy source configured to change the color of the color-changeablematerial by breaking an encapsulant to release a dye in the material.

One or more of the embodiments herein may use a processing circuitconfigured to control the energy source to create a plurality of colorsfrom the material; may use a processing circuit configured to controlthe amount of energy provided to the material to create the plurality ofcolors from the material; may use a processing circuit configured tocontrol the amount of time laser light or energy source is provided tothe material to control the amount of energy provided to the material;may use a processing circuit configured to control the energy source tocreate at least four different colors from the material; may use acolor-changeable material comprising at least two or at least threedifferent color-changeable materials configured to change to differentcolors when energized by the energy source; may use a processing circuitconfigured to mark the color-changeable materials with halftone dots,whereby an array of colors is printed; may use an energy sourcecomprising at least one laser diode array unit, which may spansubstantially the entire printable area of the substrate; may comprise acoating applicator configured to apply the color-changeable coating tothe flexible substrate; and/or may use a processing circuit configuredto control the energy source to mark the color-changeable material witha resolution of between about 600 dpi and about 720 dpi as the substratetravels past the energy source at a rate of at least 300 feet/minute.

Other embodiments may use stored data which represents different pagesof a magazine or catalog; may comprise a coating applicator systemconfigured to apply the coating to the substrate, wherein the coatingapplicator system is selected from the group consisting of a sprayer, apress unit, a pad, and a flexo press; may comprise a guard configured toreduce an amount of light of the laser from traveling away from theprinting system; may comprise processing circuit configured to receivebetween 4 and 20 Gigabytes of data per second and to control the laserbased on the received data; may use a laser comprising a diode arraylaser unit arranged linearly across the substrate, which may further bearranged substantially non-perpendicular to a direction of travel of thesubstrate; may comprise a plurality of separate diode array laser unitsarranged across the substrate; and/or may use a processing circuitconfigured to control the laser to change the color of the coating asthe substrate travels at least 300 feet per minute or between about 300and about 600 feet per minute past the laser.

One or more embodiments described herein may retrieve fixed data andvariable data from a data source and comprise changing a color of afirst portion of at least one coating on the substrate with the laserusing the fixed data and changing a color of a second portion of the atleast one coating on the substrate with the laser using the variabledata. The substrates may comprise paper or plastic. The first and secondportions may be changed in color to provide a printed publication. Thesubstrate may comprise a product packaging.

One or more embodiment described herein may print based on version datacorresponding to geographic regions to which the printed publicationswill be distributed; may use a laser which changes the color of theprinted publications based on a first set of version data tosubstantially complete a first print run and then switches to changingthe color of the printed publications based on a second set of versiondata to substantially complete a second print run; and/or may use aprinting press configured to print fixed data on the printedpublications, the printing press comprising plates, wherein theplurality of versions of the printed publication are printed using thesame plates but different sets of the version data.

According to one embodiment, a method of providing a continuous web ofpaper may comprise providing a paper composition, applying acolor-changeable material to the paper composition, and rolling thepaper composition into a continuous web. The color-changeable materialmay be applied as a coating to the paper composition, may be mixedwithin the paper composition, etc. The method may further comprisedelivering the continuous web of paper to a printing entity.

According to another embodiment, a printed publication may be printed byproviding a flexible substrate comprising a color-changeable material,retrieving data to be printed on the flexible substrate, and providingenergy to the color-changeable material based on the retrieved data tochange a color of the material on the flexible substrate. The printedpublication may be a magazine, catalog, advertisement, or billboard. Thecolor-changeable material may be printed with halftone dots using theenergy source. The color-changeable material may be printed with amulti-color printing operation comprising at least two colors or atleast three colors, which may be printed by physically separate printingunits.

One or more embodiments described herein may produce a printedpublication comprising a signature, a book, a blown card, a pamphlet, aninsert or an onsert; may control an energy source to create a pluralityof colors from the material; control an energy source to create at leastfour different colors from the material; and/or may mark thecolor-changeable material with halftone dots, whereby a large array ofcolors is printed.

One or more embodiments described herein for product packaging maycomprise applying the packaging to a product to be packaged before theprinting step or applying the packaging to a product to be packagedafter the printing step. The embodiments may control an energy source toprint on a plurality of discrete packaging units as the units move alonga conveyor at a speed of at least 1 foot per second. The embodiments mayconvey the packaging at a speed of at least 1 foot per second.

While the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the Figures and describedabove are presently preferred, it should be understood that theseembodiments are offered by way of example only. Accordingly, the presentinvention is not limited to a particular embodiment, but extends tovarious modifications that nevertheless fall within the scope of theappended claims. The order or sequence of any processes or method stepsmay be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments.

Describing the invention with Figures should not be construed asimposing on the invention any limitations that may be present in theFigures. The present invention contemplates methods, systems and programproducts on any machine-readable media for accomplishing its operations.The embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using anexisting computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processorfor an appropriate printing system, incorporated for this or anotherpurpose or by a hardwired system.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. Theembodiments were shown and described in order to explain the principalsof the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled inthe art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for printing data on a substratecomprising a color-changeable material using a printing press, themethod comprising: receiving data representative of an image to beprinted in the color-changeable material on the substrate, the imagecomprising a plurality of different colors; controlling, using the inputdata, a laser diode array to illuminate the substrate to generate atleast a portion of the image on the substrate using the color-changeablematerial, the laser diode array comprising a plurality of diodesdisposed across at least a portion of the substrate, wherein controllingthe laser diode array comprises: controlling a first parameter of lightemitted by a first diode of the plurality of diodes to cause a firstportion of the color-changeable material to change to a first color ofthe plurality of colors; and controlling a second parameter of lightemitted by a second diode of the plurality of diodes to cause a secondportion of the color-changeable material to change to a second color ofthe plurality of colors, wherein the first parameter and the secondparameter each comprise at least one of a wavelength, a frequency, or apower of the emitted light.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereincontrolling the laser diode array comprises generating the image at aresolution of at least 600 dots per inch as the substrate travels pastthe laser diode array at a speed of at least 1000 feet per minute. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the laser diode arraycomprises printing variable data that changes between at least twocopies of the printed publication in the color-changeable material onthe substrate.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the variable datarepresents different versions of the printed publication.
 5. The methodof claim 1, wherein the color-changeable material comprises a coating onthe substrate.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the color-changeablematerial is at least partially dispersed within the substrate.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the color-changeable material is at leastpartially absorbed in the substrate.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe laser diode array is disposed on one of a printing line, a finishingline, or a packaging line, and wherein controlling the laser diode arraycomprises changing the color of the color-changeable material at a speedsubstantially the same as an operating speed of the one of the printingline, the finishing line, or the packaging line on which the laser diodearray is disposed.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing presscomprises one or more roller devices configured to deposit one or moreinks onto the substrate, wherein the one or more roller devices areconfigured to generate a first portion of the image on the substrate,and wherein controlling the laser diode array comprises generating asecond portion of the image on the substrate.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein controlling the laser diode array comprises generating a printedpublication having a plurality of pages on the substrate in a page orderof the printed publication.
 11. A system for printing data on asubstrate comprising a color-changeable material, the system comprising:a laser diode array comprising a plurality of diodes; and a processingcircuit configured to: receive data representative of an image to beprinted on the substrate, the image comprising a plurality of differentcolors; process the input data into one or more commands for controllingthe plurality of diodes to generate at least a portion of the image inthe color-changeable material on the substrate, the one or more commandsconfigured to control a parameter of light emitted by each of theplurality of diodes, wherein, for each of the plurality of diodes, thecolor of a portion of the color-changeable material on which the lightis emitted by the diode is determined based at least in part on theparameter of the light; and transmit the one or more commands to thelaser diode array to generate the at least a portion of the image on thesubstrate.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the parameter comprisesat least one of a wavelength, a frequency, or a power of the emittedlight.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the laser diode array spansacross an entire width of a printing area of the substrate.
 14. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the laser diode array comprises a pluralityof adjacent rows of diodes mounted in parallel across the at least aportion of the substrate, and wherein the laser diode array isconfigured to generate a printed publication at a resolution of at least600 dots per inch as the substrate travels past the laser diode array ata speed of at least 1000 feet per minute.
 15. The system of claim 11,wherein the system is implemented on a printing press comprising one ormore roller devices configured to deposit one or more inks onto thesubstrate, wherein the one or more roller devices are configured togenerate a first portion of a printed publication on the substrate andthe laser diode array is configured to generate a second portion of theprinted publication on the substrate.
 16. A system for printing data ona substrate comprising a color-changeable material, the systemcomprising: an interface configured to receive data representative of animage to be printed on the substrate, the image comprising a pluralityof different colors; a processing circuit configured to process theinput data into one or more commands for controlling a plurality ofdiodes of a laser diode array to generate at least a portion of theimage in the color-changeable material on the substrate, the one or morecommands configured to control a parameter of light emitted by each ofthe plurality of diodes, wherein, for each of the plurality of diodes,the color of a portion of the color-changeable material on which thelight is emitted by the diode is determined based at least in part onthe parameter of the light; and an output interface configured totransmit the plurality of commands to the laser diode array to generatethe at least a portion of the image on the substrate.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of a wavelength,a frequency, or a power of the emitted light.
 18. The system of claim16, further comprising the laser diode array, wherein the laser diodearray spans across an entire width of a printing area of the substrate.19. The system of claim 16, further comprising the laser diode array,wherein the laser diode array comprises a plurality of adjacent rows ofdiodes mounted in parallel across the at least a portion of thesubstrate, and wherein the laser diode array is configured to generate aprinted publication at a resolution of at least 600 dots per inch as thesubstrate travels past the laser diode array at a speed of at least 1000feet per minute.
 20. The system of claim 16, wherein the system isimplemented on a printing press comprising one or more roller devicesconfigured to deposit one or more inks onto the substrate, wherein theone or more roller devices are configured to generate a first portion ofa printed publication on the substrate and the processing circuit isconfigured to generate a transmit the commands to control the laserdiode array to generate a second portion of the printed publication onthe substrate.